SDL has announced the acquisition of Xopus, developer of web-based XML editing software.
The Xopus editor is designed to fill the "XML contributor" gap in the market. Product content is spilling out of techdoc departments, with product content ecosystems becoming the norm (see our 2009 report on multlingual product content). The lack of solutions that enable business users to work with and have access to XML content has prevented companies from realizing the business benefits that come from using and leveraging that content throughout their operations and in customer-facing applications. The Xopus editor gives contributors and reviewers a way to participate in the ecosystem.
High-end XML editing systems and well-designed Word extensions aren't typically appropriate or useful for the legions of business users outside of professional content developers. These technologies will always have their place within the enterprise and will continue to deliver value, of course. Tools like Xopus that bring more users into the XML fold will only advance the adoption of structured content applications within the enterprise. Which means that it will become easier to make the business case for investments in practices and infrastructure for structured content.
With the Xopus acquistion, SDL extends its footprint on the global content value chain. We could already draw the SDL circle around the content management, delivery, and localize/translate functions in the chain. Now we can broaden it to include create.
Xopus becomes part of SDL's Structured Content Technologies Division. Laurens van den Oever, Xopus CEO, will serve as Director, Structured Authoring Solutions. The companies claim to have a prototype integration of Xopus and SDL Trisoft, the company's DITA-aware content management system. Details and a link to an Opus demonstration are available on the SDL site.
