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 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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2003-2006: 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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2007-Present: The Content Experts
More than 46,000 successful deployments globally, renowned content management applications and solutions, and leaders in the evolution of Web 2.0 technologies...

2007

  • Open Text branded The Content Experts

  • Becomes first U.S. Department of Defense-Certified Records Management Solution for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server

  • Named a leader in Records Management and Enterprise Content Management by Forrester Research

  • Positioned in the Leaders Quadrant in the Enterprise Content Management Magic Quadrant by Gartner

  • Gartner rates Open Text Records Management products a “Strong Positive” and gives Open Text’s RedDot Web Content Management and Content Delivery Solutions a “Positive Rating”

  • Alliance with Microsoft extended: opens office in Microsoft’s Partner Solution Center in Redmond, Washington; solutions for Law Firms utilize Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 for Matter Lifecycle Management; Office Business Application (OBA) built upon 2007 Microsoft Office system; Open Text’s Hummingbird Connectivity receives certification for Windows Vista;  Livelink ECM provides email management for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007

  • SAP relationship strengthens: SAP resells Open Text solutions under the names “SAP Archiving by Open Text” and “SAP Document Access by Open Text”; introduction of Livelink ECM™ - Records Management for use with SAP® applications

  • Appointed to Oracle Applications Integration ISV Strategy Council

  • Launch of Open Text Enterprise Process Services, Open Text Enterprise Library Services and Open Text Content Services

  • Customers include the Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, Marathon Oil, Henkel, HIT Entertainment, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Stonebridge Companies, Viega, HOVENSA, Alabama Gas, Hatch, and The Defense Science and Technology Laboratory, UK

2008

  • Reaches in $595.7 million in revenue for fiscal 2007

  • Awarded SAP Pinnacle Award for Software Solutions: Field Engagement

  • Unveils Enterprise 2.0 strategy designed to help customers transform their organizations with powerful social computing tools and Web 2.0 technologies

  • Introduces Livelink ECM – Extended Collaboration to give customers communities, social computing, and real-time collaboration tools in Livelink ECM

  • Renews contract with the Canadian Federal Government to provide a foundation for Government 2.0 initiatives such as wikis, forums, blogs, tagging, moderation, communities, and chat

  • Partners with the University of Waterloo to create the Stratford Institute, a leading institute for Web 2.0 and digital media studies

  • Forrester Research names Artesia Digital Asset Management (DAM) solution the Standalone Leader in marketing asset management software

  • Holds Gartner’s highest rating as a “Strong Positive” for Records Management

  • Open Text named leader in Accounts Payable solutions for Oracle by PayStream Advisors

  • Acquires eMotion LLC, a division of the Corbis Corporation that specializes in solutions for marketing departments and advertising agencies to compliment Artesia DAM

  • Acquires Spicer Corporation, specialists in file format viewer solutions for desktop applications, integrated business process management (BPM) systems, and reprographics  

  • LiveLinkUp Global Conference renamed Open Text Content World

  • Customers include the Canadian Federal Government, Citrix Systems, Utility Service Company, Inc. (USCI), GNC, Taylor Woodrow, Siemens IT Solutions and Services, Catholic Relief Services, Nalco company, and EWE AG

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