Following in the footsteps of several of its competitors, content management software vendor Interwoven has extended its reach into collaboration technology.
The company announced yesterday that it would acquire collaborative content software supplier iManage for $171 million in cash and stock. The two vendors have been co-marketing each other’s software for about the last six months.
With 1,300 customers, iManage has established a leadership position in several vertical markets where users have a high requirement for collaborating on complex documents, most notably in the legal sector.
In recent quarters, content management market leaders have been adding collaborative functionality to their products. Documentum acquired eRoom and Microsoft picked up PlaceWare to supplement its previous acquisition of Groove.
Analysts think such combinations make sense. “The exponential growth of content will force business executives to invest in technology for content handling, contextual delivery and collaboration,” says Andrew Warzecha, an analyst with technology adviser Meta.