Open Text is Delivering It's Business Operations Platform at Enterprise World

After attending the opening session of Open Text's Enterprise World in Orlando, I couldn't help concluding that OT is aiming at integrating their many technology assets into a business operating platform. While the CEO, Mark Barrenechea, did not use the phrase, it was clear that they are aggregating their technologies in ways to better support business operations.

They have the five major suites that are organized to optimize cross-utilization while incrementally aggregating their technology portfolio through integration and bridging. They are the Discovery Suite, the Process Suite, the Content Suite, the Experience Suite and the Information Exchange Suite. OT also announces the App Works Suite aimed at attracting developers in a way to leverage these suites in the most productive ways to deliver information and process flows. It did hurt that William Shatner showed up as guest speaker to lament the presence of such an information technology company to guide him in his lifetime to make better investments. Captain Kirk did well to amuse the crowd while supporting OT.

I am really only qualified to judge the Process Suite, so I will keep my comments to that suite. As we all know OT has made several investments in BPM technology, but this time they committed to making the Cordys acquisition the strategic process tool. While OT boldly made this statement, they also are designing a co-existence strategy that uses the same UX to wrap all the process engines and leverage each engine as a callable component. This is a good strategy for an organization that chooses to buy technologies and package them together. Cordys gives OT a cloud based, rules enabled process engine that can scale and get OT to better ESB under the covers. Combined with the GSX E-commerce platform, the process suite has potential to grow to support shared processes.

Net; Net:

OT has some good pieces of technology that are being combined. The question is can OT entice clients to their strategic technologies over time. It is possible with the right trade up and pricing options. Time will tell.