If the rummors are true, this would be big news in the ED world,
If Microsoft, as rumored, were to buy Autonomy, there would be a seismic ripple felt through eDiscovery-related markets. First, Microsoft would own two of the leading search products in the market (Autonomy and FAST). Second, Microsoft would have applications to provide value on top of a SharePoint infrastructure:
- iManage document management – which has a huge law firm and corporate legal installed base
- Meridio records management – which just so happened to be developed to provide RM functionality for SharePoint environment
- Cardiff BPM – which would give Microsoft advanced process management capabilities (all the better to build out more eDiscovery workflow, for say, legal holds?? )
- ZANTAZ archiving – which will enhance the archiving that will be native to Exchange 2010; the on-premise EAS will give Microsoft its own offering for the first time and the hosted Digital Safe will add to the Frontbridge offering Microsoft already has
And – scarily enough – that is just a smattering of the value that Autonomy would bring to Microsoft. Not hard to see why the rumor mill has Microsoft paying a 75% premium for the Cambridge, UK-based company.
To any eDiscovery vendors out there I say, “be afraid…be very afraid.” If Microsoft moves into the market, the following players have a lot to lose:
