Innes: With Documentum 5.3, we introduced the industry's only true unified content management platform. A unified platform offers all key content services including process, content, and repository in a single platform. Other ECM solutions are loosely integrated solutions of separate repositories and services.
With the addition of collaboration and retention policy management to the core platform, 5.3 now offers this unified architecture. In specific regards to eRoom, an initial integration (eRoom Enterprise) was done within 90 days of its acquisition and has continued to be enhanced with each subsequent release.
Innes: Building on the last question, and since the company's profitability is in question, can Interwoven afford to keep investing in its products?
Lynch: The company, despite the slippage in deals, continues to operate profitably. The company has recorded four straight quarters of positive growth. On the question of investing in the solutions, we continue to invest in the products from a feature set and integration perspective. We have made specific moves with the opening of a development office in Bangalore, India, to accelerate our development efforts.
Lynch: How real is Information Lifecycle man-agement [ILM]? Is this a catchphrase that EMC has created which the rest of the industry has not embraced?
Innes: ILM is a philosophy that is embraced by our customers as well as industry analysts. In a report titled "ILM and ECM: The Confluence of Technology and Business", released in January 2004, Meta Group said: "In 2004 to 2006, IT organisations will increasingly connect the technical elements of storage management with the business requirements of content management . . . ECM applications provide the content knowledge to enable more intelligent and automated ILM."
Innes: Analyst reports have described Interwoven as being late to market and as still building-out an electronic content management platform. How can you focus on innovation when you are trying to get the basics right?
Lynch: Forrester, in its WCM Wave report [15 April, 2005], ranked Interwoven ahead of Documentum for External Web Site Solutions. This was based on the depth of the solution offering and our ability strategy, so the analysts view our position differently to yourselves.
Lynch: Are your customers really implementing ILM solutions?
Innes: Yes, case studies can be seen on the EMC Web site.
Innes: Interwoven relies on a bunch of partner integrations to meet critical needs related to enterprise content management, including partner offerings for integrating content. How do customers feel about needing to manage so many business relationships and different products to meet their electronic content management needs?
Lynch: I think we are talking about different things. Customers look to our partners to provide domain-level services expertise in tailoring the solution to their business. For example, Inform Systems [part of Alphawest], has a solid reputation in delivering additional services to the legal and financial services market on top of our product offerings. The customers welcome this as the SI understands their business and can deliver the right level of services to address their business requirements.
Lynch: Who do you think is going to win the NRL grand final?
Innes: Being a full-blooded Rugby Union supporter, I'm not all that familiar with League. But based on what I know, I would have to think the Broncos will take it over the Bulldogs this year.
Lynch: What type of car do you drive?
Innes: A Toyota V8 Landcruiser.
This article was first published in Technology & Business magazine.
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