Archive for the 'IBM' Category
IBM Acquires Cast Iron Systems
IBM is enhancing their cloud-based data integration capabilities by leveraging Cast Iron’s technology. IBM has acquired Cast Iron Systems for an undisclosed amount to provide their users with a feature that can link their on-premise and SaaS applications together, no matter where the applications are located. The acquisition will bring IBM’s worth to an estimated $125 billion by 2012.
Cast Iron will be absorbed into IBM’s WebSphere along with OmniConnect, the application that helps automate the mapping and integration of on-premise and SaaS applications. The integration opens up several doors for IBM, making it an attractive business application with both on-premise and on-demand deployments. There are three integrations that we’d like to specifically highlight:
User Interface Mashup
With Cast Iron’s OmniConnect, taking information from several different sources is easy. The application can pull information together in a user interface of a cloud application. Users will only have to log-in once to access multi-platform data, on a single screen, in real time.
Process Integration
OmniConnect enables users to apply processes across cloud and on-premise applications, using connectivity, workflow and transformation features. Data that used to be locked in applications can now be found, viewed and edited without creating duplicate entries.
Data Migration
Users can migrate data from legacy applications to SaaS applications in real-time with OmniConnect. The integration also gives users the ability to cleanse data and facilitate its transfer.
The acquisition is still in the works, so IBM hasn’t released a roadmap of their plans yet. We can assume that new integration templates, like OmniConnect, will be in the cards. The recent acquisition is part of an IBM strategy to create cloud opportunities for companies that want on-demand solutions.
In February, IBM expanded its data storage capabilities with a 100,000 sq ft data center to support cloud computing. In April, IBM announced its Global Entrepreneur initiative that will provide startups no charge access to industry-specific technologies in a cloud computing environment. With the recent deal, IBM is laying the foundation for their prime position in the cloud computing industry.
No commentsIBM, Oracle, & Open Text Dominate A Recent Enterprise Content Manahement Report Released by Forrester Research
Last week, Forrester Research released a report on enterprise content management, which evaluated eight ECM vendors based on criteria including pricing, strategy, current offerings, and market presence. One of the conclusions reached in the report was that the ECM market has done surprisingly well in the past year despite the economic climate; Stephen Powers, a senior analyst at Forrester, noted there was a “very steady drumbeat of investment.”
Furthermore, Powers projected a steady rise in ECM innovation in the coming years. A factor driving the need for content management innovation: the deluge of unstructured information, ranging from documents to Web content, to emails. Some of the leading providers from the report are EMC, IBM, and Oracle, and HP, Microsoft, and Hyland Software received honorable mentions.
Another area of activity in the ECM market is the acquisition space. Autonomy, which provides enterprise search solutions, acquired content manager Interwoven, while ECM provider EMC bought Kazeion, which is an electronic discovery solutions vendor. Meanwhile, Open Text, which was another of the reports “Leaders,” acquired Web experience management vendor Vignette this past summer.
Part of the ranking was based on the completeness of offerings, but Powers points out vendors of componential products are still significant. His argument is that different types of content have different needs, and it is therefore common for enterprises to work solely with one model. Those vendors of integrative content management pieces are also good for companies that can’t afford an all-encompassing content management solution.
Last week, Forrester Research released a report on enterprise content management, which evaluated eight ECM vendors based on criteria including pricing, strategy, current offerings, and market presence. One of the conclusions reached in the report was that the ECM market has done surprisingly well in the past year despite the economic climate; Stephen Powers, a senior analyst at Forrester, noted there was a “very steady drumbeat of investment.”
Furthermore, Powers projected a steady rise in ECM innovation in the coming years. A factor driving the need for content management innovation: the deluge of unstructured information, ranging from documents to Web content, to emails. Some of the leading providers from the report are EMC, IBM, and Oracle, and HP, Microsoct, and Hyland Software received honorable mentions.
Another area of activity in the ECM market is the acquisition space. Autonomy, which provides enterprise search solutions, acquired content manager Interwoven, while ECM provider EMC bought Kazeion, which is an electronic discovery solutions vendor. Meanwhile, Open Text, which was another of the reports “Leaders,” acquired Web experience management vendor Vignette this past summer.
Part of the ranking was based on the completeness of offerings, but Powers points out vendors of componential products are still significant. His argument is that different types of content have different needs, and it is therefore common for enterprises to work solely with one model. Those vendors of integrative content management pieces are also good for companies that can’t afford an all-encompassing content management solution.
