1. Existing users of Livelink WCM Presentation Server (Obtree) may be entitled to upgrade to RedDot for no additional licensing cost where a functional 'like-for-like' migration is required.

2. Mimtech have developed MIM:SWITCH, our migration toolset that can automate your content move to another solution by connecting directly into the repository via Obtree/Livelink’s API.

3. MIM:SWITCH has been endorsed by Open Text and is their migration solution of choice for users migrating to RedDot.

4. Mimtech is vendor agnostic and can supply web content management software from all the leading vendors including; EPiSERVER, Sitecore, Immediacy and RedDot.

5. Mimtech can supply web content management software on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) rental business model.

As is the way of things as the year comes to an end Predictions of what will happen next year in the industry are rife. Before jumping on that bandwagon I thought I'd look back at last year's and see how accurate they were. So last year I predicted that 2008 would see...

• 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

This proved to be true. Lots of tea being drunk and less made by me. That's a positive result. Just as I am typing this Stephen is off to the kitchen. Again.

• 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

A little bit. More to do with .Net development than any one platform.

• 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
  

Not really a prediction as I knew it was happening. See www.peppersmoothie.com

• I will be more tired (my wife is having our second child next week)

Tired is not a strong enough word. No complaints however as he is a brilliant wee boy.

• Obtree users will start to consider their investment a bit more carefully

They have not only started to consider their investment but several have already moved off the platform. If you are considering an Obtree migration or a Livelink migration then have a look at our Livelink migration software.

• 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
  

This one went away. Someone fell off a ladder and the project was cancelled. Everyone involved is fully recovered but the project stayed cancelled.

• Lots of new processes, as we grow this is inevitable if a bit dull

Lots but never enough.

• Less chatter about Web 2.0 and more real value add development work being done in general

Web 2.0 is still talked about but people are less impressed with the marketing tag. More real value add development is what we've seen (and done). Have a look at our offering.

• More community activity in the WCM space we operate in

Not really sure what I was on about with this one.

• Software as a service replacing Web  2.0 as the buzz phrase of the moment

This is definitely the case. SaaS is all over the place in WCM and others including DMS and CRM. More in 2009. We do it too.

• Uses have more control over the presentation layer

A bit. Dashboard presentations that are configurable are more common but there are few business drivers so far.

• 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.

This was just silly really. Still let's see what I can come up with for 2009. Check back next week for some more crystal ball gazing.

 

It's been offline for months for a variety of reasons best not gone in to but at last we're pleased to announce that the Mimtech sponsored discussion forum Talk Obtree is back online!

I received a tender notice this week from one of the County Councils that have been using Livelink WCM for the past few years. They are inviting bids for a replacement WCM and the migration of their content from Livelink WCM to the new system. This is the third big Livelink user we've seen in the last 6 months looking for a new WCM and planning to move off the platform early next year. We've also noticed an increase in traffic to our site with keywords suggesting there is increasing interest in the alternatives to Livelink and the migration tools we have on offer to facilitate a smoother transition. We will be bidding one of our partner's WCM alternatives but will be highlighting our WCM migration tool as part of the bid. It's a shame that we can't offer the tool to the competition as well as we know that we can make the migration easier regardless of the target environment.

If you are interested in the options for replacing your Livelink WCM system or in how the mim:switch WCM migration tool can help you move to a new WCM then please feel free to get in touch.

Read about Obtree migrations or Livelink migrations at http://www.mimtech.com/wcm_obtreemigration.html.

Mim:switch has been endorsed by Open Text as their migration solution of choice for Obtree and Livelink WCM PS customers wishing to move to RedDot.

Read more about mim:switch and Livelink (Obtree) Migrations.

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. 

I have just had a quick look at our stats and am surprised by the number of people who are reading this blog. If I'd known that anyone, other than Ken, was actually paying attention I might have put a bit more editorial thought into it. Anyway, now that I do know I thought it would be good if others could join in. It would be great to get some comments on some of the topics raised and maybe even open up the floor a bit.

While the Talk Obtree site is offline (don't ask it will just get me angry) I would welcome anything anyone out there has to say about WCM, Mimtech, our partners, our industry or even just life and grammar.

Even if it's just Ken.