Vitria announced that the company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire XMLSolutions Corporation. Vitria believes that there is a substantial market opportunity for EDI/XML integration. Given the complexity and cost of EDI software, most companies only use EDI to communicate with the top 15-20% of their trading partners. The remaining 80-85% of trading partners need a simpler, less expensive solution that leverages the emerging XML standard for information exchange over the Internet. The total purchase price for the transaction will be approximately $15 million, of which $7 million will be paid at the closing in cash to preferred shareholders, and $8 million will be used to retire short-term debt and other liabilities of XMLSolutions. The closing of the acquisition is subject to the approval of the shareholders of XMLSolutions, as well as the satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions. Vitria will account for the acquisition as a purchase and expects to complete the transaction in early April. www.xmls.com, www.vitria.com
Category: Content technology news (Page 465 of 638)
Curated information technology news for content technology, computing, and digital experience professionals. News items are edited to remove hype, unhelpful jargon, iffy statements, and quotes, to create a short summary — mostly limited to 200 words — of the important facts with a link back to a useful source for more information. News items are published using the date of the original source here and in our weekly email newsletter.
We focus on product news, but also include selected company news such as mergers and acquisitions and meaningful partnerships. All news items are edited by one of our analysts under the NewsShark byline. See our Editorial Policy.
Note that we also publish news on X/Twitter. Follow us @gilbane
Interwoven, Inc. announced the release of Interwoven TeamCatalog. Combined with Interwoven TeamSite, TeamCatalog offers a comprehensive platform to enable customers to automate both their product and Web content processes to power multiple eBusiness initiatives. With TeamCatalog, customers will be able to assemble and manage catalog content, while automating the processes necessary to ensure product information is “transaction-ready.” Interwoven TeamCatalog provides a software platform for managing product data that meets the demands of enterprises, B2B marketplaces, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers, who need to aggregate, create, categorize, refresh and distribute eCatalogs. This content includes information such as product name and description, stock keeping unit (SKU) code, price, and other data, which is stored in legacy systems, databases and ERP systems such as SAP, PeopleSoft and Oracle. TeamCatalog is a development-side eCatalog content management solution that is compatible with leading transactional catalog products from BEA, IBM, ATG, BroadVision, Microsoft and others. TeamCatalog features include: Easy-to-use administrative tools facilitate schedule updates, define process checkpoints, set validation criteria, and manage versions of catalog files for tracking and automatic rollback as needed; Aggregation, normalization, and rationalization capabilities make product content from one or more sources `transaction-ready’ for eCommerce sites; Creation and management of multiple taxonomies, such as UNSPSC and industry-specific taxonomies. The combination of Interwoven TeamCatalog software, with B2B Edition and TeamSite software, provides the necessary content infrastructure for enterprise eBusiness initiatives. Enterprises can represent their product information accurately and merchandise their products with rich information, graphics and metadata. www.interwoven.com/products/teamcatalog
Open Market, Inc. announced that NextPage has exercised its option to purchase the Folio technology, which it had been licensing from Open Market. NextPage will pay Open Market $6.6 million in cash in the first quarter 2001, to complete the sale. Open Market began licensing the Folio technology to NextPage in June of 1999. The technology delivers advanced search and navigation of large data files as part of the Search Services component of NextPage’s core NXT 3 e-Content Platform. The purchase completes NextPage’s three-year product license agreement. www.nextpage.com, www.openmarket.com
IntraNet Solutions, Inc. announced it has formed a strategic alliance with LexiQuest. Under the agreement, IntraNet Solutions will co-market LexiQuest’s natural language search technology with its Xpedio Content Management system. The technology will enable IntraNet Solutions’ customers worldwide to perform natural language search queries on their Xpedio-powered business Web sites. Natural language technology allows users to search for information by submitting a question to search engines, rather than key words or phrases. This process generates more relevant, accurate search results than traditional methods, and is easier to use for general business users. The new search capability will enable Xpedio customers to find and access business content on Web sites more quickly and easily. www.intranetsolutions.com, www.lexiquest.com
eBT International, Inc. announced the release of engenda 4.7. The latest version of eBT’s content management and workflow automation solution features new functionality to simplify workflow development and enhance personalization through advanced integration with BEA WebLogic Personalization Server. Included in engenda 4.7 are: Microsoft Visio Workflow Solution: Based on a prototype eBT announced last year, this drag-and-drop, graphical interface allows anyone to create workflows from within Microsoft Visio. The workflows are stored as XML, without requiring users to learn the markup language; LDAP Support; Localization tools and guidelines enable global organizations to easily configure engenda 4.7 for non-English speaking locales; and Apache support. engenda 4.7 is available immediately with prices starting at $75,000. www.ebt.com
Documentum announced the general availability of Documentum 4i B2B Content Management Edition. This new Edition provides a standard, integrated content management platform that enables rapid development and deployment of content-rich B2B applications across a common content framework. At the heart of this edition is the XML-enabled eContent Server. Enhanced by Engagement Services, Syndication Services, Collaboration Services, and Documentum Developer Studio, this edition extends the production and exchange of content among and between organizations. The 4i eContent Server, designed for global scalability, provides content repository services, native XML component management and robust process automation. Documentum XML capabilities enable storage, validation and transformation of B2B XML schemas, including popular electronic marketplace schemas, such as cXML, and xCBL. Engagement Services is an ebXML-ready multi-protocol server that extends process automation and workflow across trading networks, enabling secure inter-enterprise content exchange. Syndication Services is a tightly integrated content distribution facility for publishing content directly from one or more repositories to an unlimited number of subscribers. Collaboration Services provides real-time project-based collaboration between employee and partner teams across the extended enterprise. And, for rapid development of content-rich B2B applications, Developer Studio is a mature development environment with a comprehensive API set compatible with all popular Web-based development standards. Now, catalog management applications can integrate structured catalog information (such as pricing and SKUs) with rich unstructured information such as images, product descriptions, datasheets, maintenance and operating manuals. In addition, with the new B2B Edition capabilities companies can accelerate product availability to market by enabling suppliers to directly maintain and manage their catalog content. On-line Contract management and strategic sourcing applications can now manage the content lifecycle around contracts, proposals, and quotations. Finally, collaborative commerce applications can exchange rich content and engage partners during design, marketing and sales cycles gaining increased time-to-market advantage. www.documentum.com
iPlanet E-Commerce Solutions extended its portal platform with the addition of four new products, including fully integrated wireless capability via the iPlanet Portal Server: Mobile Access Pack. The product lets service providers offer a full spectrum of portal services through any Internet-based device and allows enterprises to channel corporate services and applications to mobile employees. Mobile Access Pack is fully integrated with the iPlanet Messaging, Calendar and Directory Server software products. It provides support for WAP and i-mode, and the most requested wireless services such as SMS, notification and location-based services. There are two editions. Standard Edition is a completely self-contained, easy-to-install product to enable rapid portal pilot development and deployment. It includes the iPlanet Application Server 6.0: Standard Edition and iPlanet Directory Server for use only with the iPlanet Portal Server. Enterprise Edition provides enhanced availability and scalability on a J2EE-certified application platform with robust integration capabilities. Designed for customers requiring high transaction integrity and continuous up-time, it eliminates single points of failure through application fail-over and load balancing. It requires the separate purchase and installation of the iPlanet Application Server: Enterprise Edition or iPlanet Application Server: Enterprise Edition Pro. The iPlanet Portal Server product family is expanding to include additional capabilities via portal solution packs. Each pack can be installed and deployed on top of either iPlanet Portal Server edition. In addition, multiple packs may be deployed in conjunction with one another. They include: Mobile Access Pack, Secure Remote Access Pack, and Personalized Knowledge Pack. The iPlanet Portal Server Standard Edition and the Secure Remote Access Pack are available immediately. The Personalized Knowledge Pack will be available by the end of this month. The Wireless Access Pack will be available Summer 2001 and the Enterprise Edition will be available in the Fall. Pricing of the iPlanet Portal Server begins at $25,000. www.sun.com/software/sunone, www.iplanet.com
Nokia is now demonstrating an XHTML microbrowser on a standard mobile phone. The new browser is shown running on the modified Nokia 6210 and Nokia 7190 handsets. The demonstration is meant to show that important advances in consumer services can be made very quickly and implemented in real-world phone designs. Nokia plans to start incorporating the browser in its handsets by the end of this year. Nokia’s WAP service delivery platforms are already designed to enable access to XML-based languages such as XHTML. The server infrastructure will be ready for testing with XHTML-handset later this year, and future releases of service delivery platforms will be deployed in time for commercial roll-outs of XHTML-based services. As is the case with Nokia’s current WAP browser, Nokia will license the browser source code to other handset manufacturers, mobile phone operators, service providers, and others. Licensing information is available from www.forum.nokia.com. The new software will support current WAP content, WML, as well as the new XHTML standard, ensuring both backward compatibility and next generation services. In addition, the software is designed to be extendable, so that its functionality can grow along with the capabilities coming in GPRS networks and new phone hardware designs. The demonstration also shows the use of cascading style sheets and a new rendering engine, which together enable a GUI for content delivery. This GUI, a standard feature in the wired world, will significantly improve usability for consumers and convenience for operators. The style sheets themselves are a major advantage, as they will make it possible to easily tailor content specifically to different handsets. Nokia will collaborate with a number of companies on XHTML application technology and content creation tools. The first XHTML developer’s kit from Nokia will be available this summer. An online version of the XHTML browser demonstration is available at www.nokia.com/xhtmldemo. www.nokia.com
Subscribe to the Gilbane Advisor
