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Open Text's 15-Year Journey of Innovation

How we became the world leader in Enterprise Content Management solutions

Discover how a little spin-off company from the University of Waterloo became the market leader in providing Enterprise Content Management solutions that bring together people, processes and information.



1991-1994: The pre-Web years

The 'search engine that could' gains momentum across the U.S. and beyond

1991

  • The company's full-text indexing and string-search technology evolves out of innovative Oxford English Dictionary (OED) project at the University of Waterloo.
  • OED project results in a search engine that supports SGML, and searches user-defined document structures without loss of performance.
  • Open Text incorporates in June 1991; starts shipping product in September.
  • Customers include Oxford University Press, the Canadian Pharmaceutical Association, and University libraries.

1992

  • Delivers CD-ROM for the Canadian Pharmaceutical Association.
  • Nissho Iwai becomes an Open Text distributor in Japan.
  • Release of PAT 3, Lector and PatMotif.

1993

  • First Windows-based applications to UBS delivered in Switzerland.
  • Expands U.S. presence through alliance with Infodata Systems and its environmental database, EarthLaw.

1994

  • Release of the Open Text 4 search engine.
  • Customers include Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Oregon, the Ontario Legislative Assembly (Hansard), Caterpillar, General Dynamics and Grolier Publishing.
  • Tom Jenkins joins the company as COO—later to become President, CEO, and Executive Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer

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1995-1999: Harnessing the power of the Internet

Livelink, the first Web-based document management product, enters the scene and the intranet is born

1995

  • Acquires Chicago-based Odesta and its key collaborative technology, Livelink.
  • Open Text ships its first Web-based product, Latitude Web Server (later renamed Livelink Web Server), which lets Yahoo! search every word on every Web page.
  • Open Text sees the Web's real potential as the application of technology and standards to business (later known as 'intranets').
  • Co-develops ArchiveLink and the first standard ArchiveLink product for SAP.
  • Microsoft® Explorer integration announced.
  • Oracle integrates Open Text search technology.
  • Customers include Booz Allen & Hamilton, Union Bank of Switzerland, Mutual Life Assurance Co. of Canada, Grolier Publishing, and Peugeot Inc.

1996

  • Initial public offering of 4.6 million shares raises $61 million US net of offering costs.
  • Open Text acquires NIRV, one of the world's first ISPs, which becomes the new Open Text Network Services team.
  • Employs almost 300 people, up from 20 in mere months; 18 sales representatives out of 15 cities.
  • Alliance with Siemens Nixdorf.
  • Product license agreement with Netscape.
  • Customers include Canon, International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Schein Pharmaceutical, Chiron Corporation, and BellSouth.net Inc.

1997

  • Acquires OnTime—the first enterprise-wide, real time group scheduling product using client/server architecture; creates Open Text office in Detroit (Livonia).
  • Motorola deploys Livelink as its enterprise infrastructure.
  • Affinity Solution Provider program launches: helping third-party software developers maximize corporate intranets.
  • IDC report declares Open Text the market leader (64 percent share) for Web-enabled electronic Document Management.
  • The Delphi Consulting Group recognizes Livelink as the fastest-growing product (revenue up by 248 percent) of its kind.

1998

  • Acquires Information Dimensions, which adds offices in London, Paris, Frankfurt and Ohio.
  • Acquires software/services firm, Lava Systems, to extend Open Text's reach in financial markets; satellite office in Australia.
  • Molson Breweries, TMA, Nortel Networks, and BPB Gypsum deploy Livelink.
  • IDC names Open Text the market leader by revenue (42.1 percent) in enterprise-centric Electronic Document Management.

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1999-2002: The world's a stage

More than 15 million seats in 10,000 corporations across 31 countries and 12 languages

1999

  • Open Text's Ottawa office expands through the acquisitions of Microstar Software (standards-based solutions based on SGML and XML) and PS Software Solutions (an original records management company).
  • Livelink helps power mySAP.com® collaborative communities.
  • Open Text receives US Department of Defense 5015.2 certification.
  • First translated versions of Livelink hit the market; Open Text opens offices throughout Europe. (Japanese version of Livelink makes inroads into Far East).
  • Launch of Livelink iRIMS, a Web solution for records management.
  • JD Edwards and Open Text announce technology alliance.
  • Open Text wins Microsoft's Industry Solution Award for Best Content and Document Management Solution.
  • Customers include Sprint, Lucent Technologies and Hewlett Packard.

2000

  • Acquires Bluebird, specialists in Supply Chain Management and Customer Relationship Management solutions for PeopleSoft applications.
  • Acquires LeadingSide's e-business solutions for publishing, corporate portals and intranets and KM.
  • New business-to-business division (later becomes the Hosted and Managed Solutions division).
  • Strategic relationship with Research in Motion to connect Blackberry with Livelink.
  • Livelink deployments at CARE Canada, the United States Navy, the US Air Force, Swissair, and Ericsson Telecom Mexico.
  • Deloitte & Touche ranks Open Text as eighth in "Canadian Technology Fast 50 Program" for its near-4,000 percent revenue growth over last five years; and named 14th fastest-growing company in Canada in Profit Magazine's top 100 ranking.

2001

  • Document integration into Siebel (now Oracle).
  • $147 million in revenue and more than 1,000 employees at 31 offices.
  • Launch of Livelink Wireless - the first wireless technology for collaboration and knowledge management applications - and Livelink MeetingZone, a real-time collaboration tool.
  • Availability of Livelink Records Management - the first comprehensive, completely Web-based document and records management solution for the enterprise.
  • Livelink recognized by IDC as a global leader in team collaborative applications, capturing 47 per cent share of the market.
  • Open Text wins "Innovation Award for Excellence in Technology" at Midsize Enterprise Summit, hosted by Gartner.
  • Customers include Clarica, the US Army Reserve, Cable and Wireless, The Royal Bank of Scotland, and The Hotelplan Suisse Group.

2002

  • Acquires messaging-based collaboration software firm, Centrinity, with eight million users of its flagship, FirstClass.
  • SAP® and Open Text announce joint marketing on collaboration and knowledge management.
  • Siemens, Deloitte Consulting, Genzyme, Audi, Northrop Grumman, Ion Global, and Britannia Airways select Livelink for global collaboration and content management.
  • Content management introduced for Livelink; shipping starts for Livelink 9.1.
  • Records Management 2.0 introduced: managing physical records and electronic records in Livelink.
  • Livelink MeetingZone 2.0 offers more flexible online team meetings.
  • Gartner positions Open Text in "Leader Quadrant" of its Team Collaboration Support Magic Quadrant.

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2003-today: The ECM solutions leader

Life as the world's most successful and fastest-growing independent ECM provider? and still growing!

2003

  • Open Text acquires Gauss, Europe's leading developer of WCM and high-throughput business process management solutions.
  • Acquires Eloquent, makers of "sales readiness" solution, LaunchForce, which integrates with Open Text's collaboration, KM and content management technologies.
  • Acquires Corechange, makers of e-access framework software for deploying any kind of portal infrastructure software.
  • Open Text's government industry solutions are expanded by the acquisitions of SER eGovernment Deutschland and SER Solutions Software.
  • Corporate governance and regulatory compliance solutions (Livelink) released.
  • Joint project between Open Text and leading systems integrator, BearingPoint, to deploy worldwide training portal for 42,000 medics for the US Army.
  • Strategic partnerships with Adobe and Ricoh.
  • Revenues of $178 million US for fiscal 2003 — up $23 million over the previous year.
  • 20 million seats across 13,000 deployments in 114 countries and 12 languages.
  • ECM solutions for Oracle introduced.
  • Customers include Air Liquide, ArvinMeritor, CARE International, Giant Eagle, Health Canada, and Turner Construction.

2004

  • Acquires Munich-based IXOS, software vendor with 15 years' experience integrating with SAP Open Text acquires Munich-based IXOS, software vendor with 15 years' experience integrating with SAP solutions. IXOS archiving solutions consolidated with Livelink records management and collaboration solutions (content from SAP, Lotus Notes, Microsoft SharePoint® and Outlook®).
  • Open Text forms the Artesia Digital Media Group after acquiring Artesia Technologies, leading specialists in digital asset management for the media and entertainment industry.
  • Introduces Life Sciences solutions extending Microsoft technology for compliant management of electronic records and documents.
  • Acquires Vista Plus Suite (report capture and distribution) from Quest Software.
  • Named leader in Gartner 2005 Magic Quadrant for IDARS.
  • Forms European alliance with Siemens Business Services, combining their IT services with Livelink ECM.
  • Open Text publishes first book of trilogy collection: ECM: What you need to know - Technology
  • Customers include Sandia National Labs, Suncor Energy Services Inc., US Office of Naval Research, British Council, SI Corporation, IDEXX Laboratories, MicroPatent® LLC, American Welding Society, Audi, and BioMarin Pharmaceuticals.

2005

  • Open Text introduces a complete ECM ecosystem using Livelink ECM as the intelligent bridge between Microsoft (including SharePoint and Office 12) and SAP solutions, including Powered by SAP Netweaver®.
  • Open Text reaches almost half a billion in revenue ($414.8 million US) for fiscal 2005.
  • Improves its Service-Oriented Architecture; ECM components become business solutions faster, more easily.
  • Open Text moves corporate and training facilities into a new, high-tech, state-of-the-art building in Waterloo.
  • Open Text publishes second and third book of trilogy collection: ECM: What you need to know - Solutions and ECM: What you need to know - Methods.
  • Customers include Distell Group Limited, LANXESS Corporation, Sasol, Ltd., MerseyBIO, Sony Global Treasury Services, Abbey, San Diego Blood Bank, LVA Rheinprovinz, Major League Baseball Advanced Media, Norddeutsche Landesbank (NORD/LB), Transport Research Laboratory, and Vintage Petroleum.

2006

  • Celebrates 15th anniversary.
  • Selected by Oracle® as the only go-to-market ECM solutions partner for Oracle Content Services.
  • Named as Microsoft's global ECM solutions partner and Global ISV Partner of the Year.
  • Acquires Hummingbird Ltd.
  • Earns the highest possible rating ('strong positive") in Gartner's MarketScope for Records Management.
  • Releases SAP xApps Certified Application for Contract Management.
  • Launches market-leading Artesia DAM solution on Microsoft SQL Server 2005.
  • Forms alliance with international systems integrator Accenture.
  • Extends global agreement with Hewlett-Packard to help customers improve business processes and compliance.
  • Signs global alliance with Atos Origin to offer ECM solutions
  • Recognized by Forrester Research for Business-Content-Centric Application Leadership.
  • Open Text is the market leader in ECM globally, according to Gartner.
  • Customers include World Anti-Doping Agency, Husky Energy, Kichler Lighting, FremantleMedia, and National Collegiate Athletic Association.

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Click Here to order your copy of Open Text's history book —"Ten Years of Innovation & Beyond".