EPiServer Continues With Expansion Mode, Acquires Dropit Products

By Irina Guseva | Published Jan 19, 2009

Swedish CMS provider EPiServer decided to grab a Web agency called Dropit. While some other Web Content Management vendors are shedding extra weight (i.e. agencies), EPiServer does the exact opposite. Why?

Editor's Note: After the news went out, we've heard from EPiServer with clarification on the acquisition. The product section and the actual products from Dropit were acquired, but not any consulting resources and not the entire Dropit organization, which will remain intact and maintain their focus of developing Web sites for their customers.

EPiServer says that this investment will allow the company to continue to offer the “most sophisticated content management system (CMS) available today” — based on fast, simple and effective functionality. Sounds like a cryptic message in a bottle not designed to be easily digested. OK, guess we shall wait and see what role exactly Dropit is supposed to play.

The Skinny on Dropit

Dropit was founded in 1996, and is one of Sweden’s most experienced web agencies. The company focuses on Web strategy, communication and technology.

Dropit is an EPiServer Premium Solution Partner and has reportedly worked with EPiServer CMS longer than any other consulting organization. That statement leads to us to believe that, perhaps, Dropit is just an extra resources pool to satisfy the growing number of EPiServer customers and some extra CMS add-ons. You never want to be in the situation when supply is shorter than demand.

The acquisition also encompasses a number of other products which Dropit has developed as add-ons to EPiServer CMS. The main product — Extension (renamed to X3 in its latest version) — was specifically developed for EPiServer CMS following requests for this functionality from EPiServer’s customers. Extension was integrated with EPiServer CMS more than four years ago.

X3 is a tool for web editors to administer and manage their sites. For example, page layout can be changed in an instant by dragging and dropping different “blocks” into place. Text, images and video can also be included and moved around freely.

Peter Larsson, CEO of EPiServer said: “Dropit’s products sound simple but they are incredibly sophisticated and will continue to give us an edge over our competitors.”

EPiServer a la Expansion Mode

EPiServer reported that during the last 12 months, license sales grew more than 40%. Now, EPiServer is undertaking a series of acquisitions and new office expansions “to broaden and strengthen its proposition.”

Acquisitions can be good, as long as there’s a solid strategy behind them. It’s really sad to see companies buy other companies in an effort to “broaden” their horizons and end up just watering down their product, value proposition and monetary resources.

We wish the best of luck to EPiServer and nothing resembling the satirical “Pomperipossa effect.”

So, When is EPiServer Coming to the U.S.?

You have been asking us lately for more information on what’s going on with EPiServer making the move to the U.S. Web Content Management Market.

You ask, we answer. Here’s the latest update. Things are going according to plan, our EPiServer source tells us. The vendor is in the middle of the recruitment process for Sales-related roles. There is also news on a new partner agreement between EPiServer and a partner with local offices in both U.S. and Canada.

The beginning of this new venture may be tiny at this time, but this is the “EPi-way” for you. When EPiServer starts up in new markets, the company does it the “lean way,” until the business can take care of the costs.