The marketplace has become social: the world of Web 2.0 opens up opportunities for online engagement, not only with customers and prospects, but now with analysts and competitors. CMSWatch's Kas Thomas, in efforts to support the WCM community of users, posted a list of technical questions called a "reality check" that has gained traction among pure play Web Content Management vendors as the "The CMS Vendor Meme." Open Text has been tagged, and, while it was not without some internal debate as to whether we should allow ourselves to be cajoled into a feature-by-feature discussion instead of focusing on customer value, we decided to participate. As a market leader in WCM, we want to ensure that customers, prospects and partners have a complete picture of the key players in this space.

So while we see the fun and spirit of playing along, the challenge we cannot neglect is that our customers are faced with much more complex requirements not addressed in the checklist. Content is not created, managed, and consumed in a vacuum: the consolidation of point solution products into a bigger picture perspective encompassed under the umbrella of Enterprise Content Management has happened for a reason. What is the answer to collaboration, social networking, rich media, compliance and archiving? Where are the vertical solutions for Energy, Government, Finance or Manufacturing? How are you handling the eco-systems from SAP to Microsoft to Oracle?

For us content management is a journey to empower people, to provide agility to the organization, to add the required level of control and to provide a phenomenal experience in the context of the user. That's why our vision calls for the orchestration of people, process and content to achieve strategic success.

The world of electronic content has changed dramatically for commercial enterprises and the public sector in recent years - and the ability to manage electronic content from cradle to grave is the imperative. Holistic is the new black.

But, we'll play, because our customers expect nothing less than a transparent, strategic vision from Open Text. Here are the answers according to the "rules"

1. Our software comes with an installer program.

Yes

2. Installing or uninstalling our software does not require a reboot of your machine.

Sort of; the response is dependent on the underlying OS choice of the customer.

3. You can choose your locale and language at install time, and never have to see English again after that.

Yes, as a global company with sales and support offices in most major regions, we have invested in multi-lingual product and support, a key requirement to help enterprises that span multiple geographies and time zones.

4. Eval versions of the latest edition(s) of our software are always available for download from the company website.

Yes, all our software is always available for download to our customers. The same is true for early beta version to those customers and partners that participate in beta programs.

5. Our WCM software comes with a fully templated "sample web site" and sample workflows, which work out-of-the-box.

Yes, we deliver a demo project with the software. But the demands of global business today require Web Solution products that provide integrations into any eco-system from SAP to Microsoft. Therefore we decided to also provide customer workshops targeted to meet increasingly complex requirements of our customers, e.g. web solutions for SAP or Web Solutions for Multi-Sites.

6. We ship a tutorial.

Yes

7. You can raise a support issue via a button, link, or menu command in our administrative interface.

"Issues" require a dialogue, and we have built-in support systems and tools that enhance the dialogue but not a single button to "call" support. But the really interesting question here should be, "Do you provide enterprise-class, global service level agreement support?" We serve our customers 24/7 at Open Text.

8. All help files and documentation for the product are laid down as part of the install.

Yes, in fact we take it one step further and provide an online community called the Knowledge Centre for our customers and partners to get access to the latest and greatest information they need whenever they need it. This ranges from basic information like the documentation and software updates, to best practices and active community discussions with their peers.

9. We run our entire company website using the latest version of our own WCM products.

Sort of. The Web Solutions site is running on the latest Web Solutions technology; but some areas of Open Text run on earlier versions. Our priority was to build a platform that allows us to design micro sites we have affectionately named iVillages--sites designed to quickly integrate the newest acquisitions, and adopt emerging social marketplace requirements in a fast and efficient manner.

10. Our salespeople understand how our products work.

Yes, our Web Solutions specialist sales people certainly understand our web solutions products. Given that we offer the entire spectrum of ECM technologies; from WCM to Social Networking (did we forget to mention we have built our own, highly secure and enterprise-friendly social networking platform?) to Records Management (we would be interested to learn what the other vendors' compliance and e-discovery capabilities are) to enterprise class Process Management ... We have specialists and generalists in all these exciting fields.

11. Our software does what we say it does.

Yes, and more importantly, our customers tell us it does what they ask of it and rely on it for.

12. We don't charge extra for our SDK.

Yes, our solutions come with an API.

13. Our licensing model is simple enough for a 5-year-old to understand.

Let's say yes. We only had one 6 year old in our focus group, but when I checked with my colleague's son, he verified in crayon: "one engine and as many wheels you want to add."

14. We have one price sheet for all customers.

Yes, but keep in mind we do business in 45 countries across all industry verticals and particular bundling preferences for specific markets will mean differences. We are also unique in the technology space in that we provide end-to-end Enterprise Content Management infrastructures for entire governments. WCM being one element in this holistic information governance strategy. In such specialized cases we are happy to work with our customers to assess a suitable pricing structure for their complete web content requirements.

15. Our top executives are on Skype, Twitter, or some similar channel, and: Feel free to contact them directly at any time.

Many are, but not all. e.g. Daniel is (he runs web solutions): @danielkraft/www.myifridge.com/myifridge (skype), and most of the web & social networking team is @CherylMcKinnon/candyandaspirin.blogspot.com, @DaveChalmers1, @craighepburn. Maybe it is also worth mentioning that all of our people (including all executives) use internal social networking tools like communities, forums, wikis, IM or blogs based on our own technology...so we walk the talk.

Given our continued growth as a major ECM vendor, we have a healthy diversity among our executive management team that ranges from early adopter technology and marketing strategists to pure business management C-levels responsible for the bottom line. Given the current economy I am glad to have that diversity of experience, street-smarts and education steering the ship, even if they don't all Twitter...yet.

Cuneyt Uysal, Product Marketing, Open Text Web Solutions/@cuneytuysal/www.cuneytuysal.com/cuneyt.uysal (skype)