Episerver News & Articles

EPiServer (news, site) is preparing to go public on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Being one of the few in its Web CMS market segment to be public, this move gives the company a certain advantage.

For buyers, it is going to be easier to evaluate a public company, since all the financials will be out in the open. One might say that no one cares about that, but the reality shows a different picture. No one wants to indulge in guesswork when investing in a Web CMS product and vendor. As we know, this deal is just like marriage.

And these are some of the numbers EPiServer is sharing today:

• Average growth 35% per year over the past 5 years
• License revenue growth for 2009 at 46%
• Revenues for 2009 were US$ 29.9M
• EPiServer has been profitable since its inception in 1994

And here are some of the contributing factors to the state of current affairs at EPiServer:

• Customer and partner growth with fastest growing markets being the U.S., U.K. and Scandinavia
• Market expansion with new offices in Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, the U.S., Australia and South Africa in addition to the existing ones in Sweden and Norway
• Open-source-like community -- EPiServer World -- with more than 8500 active members and marketplace called EPiMore
• Expansion of the product portfolio that includes web content management, social media, eCommerce, marketing and sales, event and meeting management and hosting capabilities
• 50% of the recent growth is attributed to the new products that have been released over the past two years (see our coverage here)

There’s not much more to say really, except to congratulate EPiServer. The numbers are fairly impressive; especially, given the recent economic slump -- and the competition in the likes of Ektron (news, site) and Sitecore (news, site) is most likely aware of that. We’ll just have to wait and see how EPiServer builds on this momentum and, most importantly, manages the growing pains.

EPiServer (news, site) is on the way to boost its existing Web CMS and Relate+ community platform product offerings with an eCommerce integration via a partnership with Mediachase. The new “trifecta” is aimed at companies with online presence in the retail and B2B verticals.

The eCommerce integration is based on Mediachase’s eCommerce Framework (ECF), which is built in ASP.NET and complements EPiServer’s technology stack. Being able to tap into the ECF .NET API should allow EPiServer customers and developers to build online stores that also utilize integrated CMS and community features.

Mediachase calls the ECF the “No. 1 Alternative to Microsoft Commerce Server” and touts its “adaptable architecture and extensibility model.” Some of the capabilities of the ECF include catalog management, order management, customer management, merchandising and promotions.

Mediachase sells ECF under a variety of licensing models from source code to production deployment. The EPiServer deal seems to fall under the “OEM and Other Licensing” type.

One of previous integrations of ECF with a Web CMS was with Sitecore CMS, but that appears to be a single case for now. Open source DotNetNuke CMS is also in the mix of third-party plug-in/add-on ecosystem. On the community side, Mediachase also integrates with Telligent Community Server.

The EPiServer integrated eCommerce platform is expected in 1H 2010. Until then, the two products are available separately.

EPiServer (news, site) has been working diligently to spread its Web CMS love throughout the world via partnerships with a handful of digital agencies and consultants. From the U.S. alone, Imano, Kohorts, Level 2 Marketing Group, Lightmaker, Orckestra, Oshyn, MarketNet and Yoodle are just a few that have recently latched onto EPiServer’s platform.

The rapid expansion has been made possible in part by EPiServer's  U.S. office, which opened its doors last June. At the time, the company reported more than 2,500 customers using EPiServer CMS around the globe. With even higher present numbers, it looks like EPiServer has found a way to compete in a cutthroat market.  

“Companies worldwide are seeking to improve their connections with customers, partners and the community at large on the web," explained AJ Harring, President, EPiServer U.S. "This shift towards a more engaged web creates a tremendous opportunity for EPiServer to expand its global footprint. Our flexible, cost-effective platforms enable EPiServer and our partners to uniquely address this need for customers by creating compelling online experiences that enhance brand, foster customer loyalty and drive revenue, helping them more efficiently turn website visits into sales.”

EPiServer currently delivers its platform through a network of over 330 partner companies in 30 countries. Their offices are located in the United States, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, The Netherlands, South Africa, Australia and the United Kingdom. 

If you'd like to jump on the EPiServer bandwagon, you can get started here. 

Australia asked for some content management, and EPiServer (news, site) is giving it to them. The team behind the Web CMS has officially opened their Sydney based operation, providing both Australia and New Zealand with a new vehicle for the creation and management of websites.

“The establishment of a direct EPiServer presence in Australia has long been a critical step in our global expansion strategy,” said Andreas Stjernström, Country Manager for EPiServer Australia and New Zealand.

Like several companies with their hands in the content management cookie jar, EPiServer has seen substantial growth over the last year despite floundering economical conditions. As far as numbers go, substantial growth equals 40 percent business growth over the last 12 months and 60 percent license growth in the first six months of 2009.

“We have some aggressive goals in place for our first six months, including achieving substantial local business growth, building our position as a local market leader and developing our valuable partner ecosystem,” said Stjernström.

Follow the grapevine here and let's see if they keep hold of  their success.  

EPiServer (news, site), on its ongoing quest in "the new era of the Engaged Web," has news for marketers, who are looking to deliver dynamic, personalized, optimized and measurable web experiences.

EPiServer Marketing Arena is a new product designed to do just that, and then some.

Swedish Web CMS vendor EPiServer (news, site) is increasing its European reach beyond the Scandinavian home base. Recently, EPiServer signed 11 new implementation/reseller partnerships in the United Kingdom.

As we know, EPiServer works through resellers/partners only. And now, through more of them, including UK’s Byte Art, Charteris, Cimex Media, Corporate Document Services, IMGROUP, Kieon, Nucleus, Obergine, Ogilvy Action, The On Connection and STEEL. The majority of them are interactive/digital agencies specializing in website building and web content management.

Neal Perry, Country Manager of EPiServer UK & Ireland said: “Our partners include some of the largest and most well known agencies in Europe. They all know that we provide them with a straightforward way to create websites, which engage the visitor and are easy to manage.”

Good move, eh? For EPiServer’s growth, it is crucial to sign the right implementation partners, as much of the overall success in the CMS market depends on them. You might’ve noticed that it is not always easy to find skilled EPiServer integrators, especially outside of Sweden.

EPiServer says there are more than 2,500 customers worldwide using EPiServer CMS. A bit hard to believe, but the vendor also notes, “Two new commercial sites built using EPiServer CMS go live every 24 hours.”

The current count of EPiServer’s partner network is around 300 companies in 25 countries, including U.S., where EPiServer has recently opened its North American HQ office.

After what seemed like much deliberation and preparation, EPiServer (news, site) has finally announced its official U.S. presence.

There is a good chance that competitive temperature is going to rise in the North American web content management market.
 

EPiServer (news, site) is offering a new free addition to its wide range of content management add-ons for its EPiServer CMS 5 product. EventX offers meeting and event management to help wrangle the herds of invitees to your company's latest shindig.

CMS Watch (news, site) has just released the 17th edition of their independent research report on Web Content Management: Web CMS Report 2009.

In this latest release, CMS Watch notes that there is another wave of web content management vendors from Europe entering the North America market. These vendors are offering a greater variety of options especially in the areas of .NET and open source. And these are not new vendors, many have been around awhile, just focused on the European market.

According to Tony Byrne, CMS Watch founder, European and UK-based Web CMS vendors have been trying to break into the US market for over a decade. There are been two previous waves: successful in wave 1: RedDot and Day Software, successful in wave 2: Sitecore and Tridion.

This "third wave" includes some well-known vendors:

• Telerik and EpiServer: Offering solutions to the SMB market and challenging existing vendors like Ektron and Sitecore
• eZ Publish, TYPO3 and Drupal: All three are developing strong partner relationships in North America

And while they think this is a good thing, CMS Watch is advising caution and due diligence. “Crossing the Atlantic in either direction is very hard for a Web CMS vendor,” adds Byrne.  “Building effective support structures is a process that takes years, so North American customers should carefully weigh any newcomer’s current abilities as well as long-term staying power.”

You can get the full report here.

More often than not web content management vendors are trying to offer ways to manage social media, user-generated content and web 2.0 technologies in the context of their CMS's.

EPiServer's (news, site) Relate+ is built on top of their CMS 5 web content management system and provides a common framework for incorporating social media features, community building and e-mail marketing into websites.

The product was released just in time before the upcoming grand opening of the U.S. office.

The makers of EPiServer CMS 5 have announced EPiServer Day 2009 -- a conference that gathers together Sweden’s Web experts, international analysts, EPiServer customers and all those interested in Web Content Management and EPiServer CMS.

The highlight of this event is a deep dive into what the vendor calls “the Engaged Web” and experiences surrounding content management and social media.

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.

The Swedish WCM vendor EPiServer is finally making it to our side of the pond. Exclusively, our contacts at EPiServer told us the company is actively pursuing an ASAP office opening in the U.S. Watch out, competition!

It is all going to be done the “EPi way.” Which means starting up in new markets in a “lean way,” until there is enough business to go full throttle.

Function-wise, the .NET-focused EPi is planning to start in the U.S. with, of course, sales. So, if you think you can sell Web CMS, the vendor is looking for a Sales Manager. The current EPi CEO used to be a CEO for Pointsec in the U.S., before moving to Sweden. So, he may explore some sales prospects of his own. Hurry up!

Geographically, EPiServer is looking either at the appl-y New York City or the windy Chicago. I, personally, prefer Manhattan views (looking out of the window). Chicago, however, may be a good central EPicenter point in the middle of the country. In addition to the Sales Manager, there’s also an opening for a Technical Sales Engineer with Product Support team to follow. The direction it grows (or not) from here is hard to predict at this point.

Hopefully, with a new partner recently signed on in South Dakota, things for EPiServer will take off in a jiffy.

We recently gave you an overview of the latest version of EPiServer’s Web CMS software, when they released the second installment of CMS 5.0 R2. And, of course, we plan to give you even more insight into EPi very soon.

Sitecore, a famed .NET Web CMS vendor, announced that its 2008 revenues have grown by over 100% over the prior fiscal. Reportedly, 95% of revenues are coming from new license sales, 4% — from training and less than 1% — from Professional Services.

While this kind of revenue percentage distribution may seem kind of funky to some, knowing Sitecore’s focus on software development and exclusive outsourcing of PS and related implementation activities to its third-party integrators and partners — we are not surprised.

It’s that time of the year again. It’s time to shop for those shiny and new 2009 Lamborghini models, as well as for the new 2009 Web CMS report from CMS Watch.

The Lamborghini of Web CMS researchers, CMS Watch works diligently every year interviewing customers, vendors, partners and all sorts of other people on the CMS street to get the skinny on the Web CMS ecosphere and to give selected vendors an A or a D, depending on how well they did during 2008.

Brace yourselves and read on…