Apptus Theca
June 24, 2010
Quite a few search and content processing companies describe themselves as “leading”. The headline “Europe’s Leading Search Technology Company Apptus, Offers a Safe Passage for All Users of Fast on Linux and Unix to Apptus’ Search Platform Theca” caught my attention. The byline was Stockholm, which is definitely a technology center. Microsoft has a large presence. The content management company EPiServer and the smart content processing vendor Silobreaker have roots in the Stockholms skärgård. Microsoft has a significant presence as well. Apptus lit up my radar on one of my visits to Scandinavia. The company was positioned to me as an eCommerce integrator focusing on directory implementations and retail.
The news item, reported on Yahoo so it may become a 404 in a heartbeat, made several interesting points.
First, the news release informed me that Apptus is “Europe’s leading search technology company.” A bit deeper in the news release was this qualifier, “Europe’s leading developer of search and content enrichment services for online directories.” This statement matched my understanding of the the company’s focus. Too bad the headline says one thing which I did not believe and the first paragraph said another thing which seemed to match what I knew about the company. Ah, 20-somethings. Such a delight are they.
Second, Microsoft’s dumping the Linux/Unix Fast Search & Transfer ESP has spawned a competitor. Although the news release does not tell me, I heard that Apptus is using open source search technology and going after the orphaned Fast ESP Linux/Unix users. This makes sense, and the idea that an outfit with expertise in search implementation, tuning, and integration is a good one in my opinion.
Third, Apptus is one of the higher profile outfits taking advantage of Microsoft’s decision to expand its business and give open source search a boost. Keep in mind that Apptus has customers in 18 countries and counts among its clients Yell.com and World Color Press (formerly Quebecor), among others.
In my opinion, what I see happening is a fracturing of an already mixed up and fluid segment of the software industry. I assume that my two or three readers will disagree, but here’s my working hypothesis:
- Microsoft’s dumping of Fast Linux/Unix is giving additional impetus to Lucene/Solr. Vendors of proprietary search and content processing solutions may find that Microsoft has unwittingly created an unexpected consequence. It is too soon to tell if Microsoft knows about what I can call the “Apptus effect”. I will have to sit back and watch.
- SharePoint centric search vendors may find the open source search providers capturing more customers. SharePoint centric vendors, therefore, may face some tough choices; for example, put resources into fighting the Apptus-style plays, focus only on SharePoint and abandon the Linux/Unix market, or go all in and support Microsoft and Linux/Unix.
- The search and content processing vendors who want to offer platforms will have to step up their marketing. Microsoft and Google are platform companies, and it will be increasingly difficult to get attention for very good, but less well known options.
- Specialty search vendors will be forced to focus even more sharply on point solutions. This means that crazy marketing lingo aside, some companies will have to pick a sector like customer support and, in the words of Project Runway’s Tim Gunn, “make it work”. The days of morphing from business intelligence, semantics, eDiscovery, and appliances may meet with greater skepticism. Customers with problems will want a best of breed solution and the Heinz 57 varieties creature may be a turn off.
- Cloud search solutions may become more desirable. I had a conversation yesterday and pointed out that SAS Teragram offered a cloud solution before the cloud had become the buzzword du jour. Companies like Blossom.com have proved to me that hosted search works like a champ and shaves money and time off search and retrieval.
To sum up, the Apptus announcements strikes me as a big deal. Aside from my stumbling over the Apptus news release headline, there’s a message in the Apptus news item. Who is listening? Search vendors facing financial pressure may want to perk up their ears.
Stephen E Arnold, June 24,2010
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