This morning I presented to a panel of judges as part of the John Logie Baird Awards. We were flattered to be invited given the number of applications and look forward to finding out if we can progress to the final.

I was talking about the innovative aspects of the mim:switch WCM to WCM mifgration software and why it is a better option than the competition for migrating from one web content management system to another. It was the first time that I had presented the software to a non technical audience and really made me focus on what is good about our software. There are two main things that make mim:switch attractive; it is fast and it leaves nothing behind.

We ran some tests against a clients events application. The application has about 2500 events and to migrate manually with copy and paste would take about 15 minutes per event which equates to about 100 days. mim:switch managed to create all the new pages, add the content and all metadata and place them in the site structure in less than 1 hour. Imagine how much time and cost will be saved in migrating a site of 20000 or 30000 pages.

Earlier this week RedDot held their annual user conference (RedDot Days) in Frankfurt. Unfortunately we were unable to attend this year as we have too much work on here but we were pleased to be informed that Livelink WCM presentation server customers were being enticed to attend by the offer of a free onsite migration workshop to the first 10 to sign up. As readers of this blog will know I was part of the team that designed this migration workshop along with RedDot, Infocentric Research and Unic Internet Solutions representatives at a session in Hamburg earlier this year. I am still waiting to hear the results but look forward to the workshops. We have carried out similar workshops with UK based clients already as they move off the Livelink WCM PS platform.

The mim:switch Content Intelligence Tool is a key aspect of that work and it provides invaluable data to help prepare for migrating from Obtree or Livelink WCM PS. we are expecting to see migrations from Swiss and German users over the next few years but in the UK at least the move has started.

We've always played on the fact the we are vendor agnostic and independent from the WCM companies we partner with. Sometimes it's not an easy space to occupy with some vendors being less than comfortable with the arrangement due to numerous perceived 'conflicts of interest' - mostly brought about by their paranoia and blind faith in their 'best of breed' product.

For us, becoming agnostic simply made good sound commercial sense. Afterall, when we started trading almost three years ago we were a 100% Obtree C4 house and what with its end of life in sight (there, someone finally said what everyone knows!) if we hadn't adapted, our own end of life would be fast approaching too.

Now we're actively supporting clients with WCM solutions and developments in Immediacy, Sitecore, EpiServer, Pepperio as well as RedDot and good old soon to be departed (oops, said it again) Livelink WCMPS/Obtree C4. 

Simon has blogged many times about our WCM to WCM Migration offering, MIM:Switch. It's very exciting for us that the MIM:Switch toolset is now being used in anger for the first time at a major UK organisation to assist in their move away from Livelink WCMPS/Obtree C4. Which solution are they moving to? They/we don't know yet but that's not important... we're vendor agnostic! 

I am in the middle of a pre migration exercise and need a wee break so instead of doing it I am going to blog about it for a few minutes.

  Mim:switch Obtree site analysis tool.

Using the Mim:switch Obtree/Livelink WCM migration tool we have been analysing a site belonging to one of our customers. We have generated all the reports covering the number of objects,  orphaned and inactive objects, missing attributes, duplicates and slots that are populated and are now trying to complete the analysis document. Between this and the Google Analytics I have spent more time looking at statistics than any time since I was an Economist at the Scottish Office back in the 80's. 

St Andrew's House (Scottish Office)

It seems that the migration activity that has been threatening for some time now is beginning. We have seen a few of our clients move off the platform for a number of reasons over the years but recently we have been alerted to some of the larger clients entering a procurement activity with a view to moving off platform during the current financial year.

"Don't Panic!"

There is no need to move. The roadmap WCM includes a release in November 2010 and support for three years after that. So, if you are happy with the Livelink WCM platform then there is no reason to look for an alternative.

If you are considering a move, then we are well placed to help you choose between the alternatives and to provide you with the easiest route to a successful new implementation. Contact me to find out more about our partners and our 'Out of Obtree' migration toolset.

The PEPPER smoothie website went live on Friday 16th May.

So what is PEPPER smoothie?...

Simply put, PEPPER smoothie is on demand web content management for business websites with zero upfront cost. Supplied via the Software-as-a-Service business model users simply pay a fixed monthly service fee to use our solution, built in Pepperio by Mediasurface (or should that be Alterian?), to manage their business website.

And what of the creative process talked about in previous posts?...

Let's just say that the website features juggling balls, spinning plates and a first for the sector (well, at least I've not seen one used elsewhere before), a Video MC - go take a look at http://www.peppersmoothie.com.

I read this and thought of our customers. I am not going to  comment on it just put it up here...

From the Information World Review web site

'Another prediction that I have been making for some months (OK, years) is that Open Text would sell out, with SAP quite likely to be the buyer. It hasn’t happened yet and, as another strong Open Text financial quarter goes by, you could argue that it’s becoming less likely to happen.'

The same author predicted the Yahoo bid by Microsoft. 

In answer to so many requests from customers for information regarding the future of Obtree C4 - aka Livelink WCM Presentation Server - Mimtech have initiated the Talk Obtree discussion forum to provide a platform for Obtree customers to communicate and share information with regard to their current Obtree implementation and their future plans and options.

Let the discussions begin.....

Apparently it is fashionable for commentators to make predictions for the next year. So I thought I might try and predict what is in store for Mimtech.

1. In January we have new staff joining us (not a prediction, I have already hired them) so I expect there to be more going on in the office and having to make tea less often
2. We have some training lined up in different WCM platforms for most of the techie guys so I predict a lot more geek speak and jargon being bandied around
3. We will launch a new offering in January but I won't spoil the surprise just yet, we will be getting a lot of attention and new and exciting business in the New Year
4. I will be more tired (my wife is having our second child next week)
5. Obtree users will start to consider their investment a bit more carefully
6. Mimtech will land our first big implementation in New Zealand early next year, this is already at a fairly advanced stage in the sales process
7. Lots of new processes, as we grow this is inevitable if a bit dull
8. Less chatter about Web 2.0 and more real value add development work being done in general
9. More community activity in the WCM space we operate in
10. Software as a service replacing Web  2.0 as the buzz phrase of the moment
11. Uses have more control over the presentation layer
    
12. Celtic and Rangers striking a deal to become one club - Glasgow United. Or maybe an end to world poverty and conflict. Or Microsoft bringing out some bug free software. Or Apple releasing a product that doesn't start with i. Obese being the new size zero. I appear to have run out of sensible ideas.
    

http://www.talkobtree.com/

In answer to so many requests from customers for information regarding the future of Obtree C4 - aka Livelink WCM Presentation Server - Mimtech have initiated the talk obtree discussion forum to provide a platform for Obtree customers to communicate and share information with regard to their current Obtree implementation and their future plans and options.

There is undoubtably a perception amongst the Obtree customer base, not just in the UK but throughout the whole of Europe, that they are not being clearly communicated with as a result of RedDot becoming the Open Text Web Solutions Group. For example, recent email based 'updates' have originated from both Open Text and RedDot with different branding and messaging. This apparent lack of a single coherent communication channel and the recent announcement that the RedDot WCM product is the Open Text WCM product of choice have cast uncertainty over the other two WCM products under Open Text ownership, namely Obtree C4 and Gauss.

To be fair to RedDot they have held a number of 'Obtree Customer Days' and taken part in an online webinar with Mimtech to present the Livelink WCM Presentation Server product road map and commit their ongoing support to the product. However, at each event they have failed to give straight answers to the most basic of questions raised by their customers to the extend that, intentional or not, they have only served to fuel the rumours surrounding the lifespan of the product.

The talk obtree discussion forum is intended to provide a platform for serious debate and discussion around all the options available to Obtree customers moving forward. Undoubtably, this includes the option to keep using Livelink WCM Presentation Server successfully as your 'fully supported' web content management platform for years to come. However, it is looking increasingly likely that the most probably outcome for most of you will be to switch web content management platforms in the coming months to either RedDot WCM or another vendor's product.

Let the discussions begin.