Rage Against the Content Management Machine

1. Rage Against the Content Management Machine Donald A. DePalma, Ph.D. Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

2. A note • “Rage Against the Machine” (RATM) is a music ensemble that plays heavy rock music with “rhythmic, deep hip-hop grooves, and sonic slap-back funk.” The group’s name emphasizes sociopolitical themes, such as the conflict between the haves and the have-nots, in their oeuvre. The “machine” against which RATM rages is a government that has abandoned the have-nots. • In this presentation, the “content management machine” is the solidifying establishment of enterprise content management (ECM) that supports multilingual product features but does little to actively market and support them.

3. Theme of today’s presentation Commercial CMS solutions can do a much better job on multilingual applications than they’re doing today. Most suppliers still need a push.

4. Agenda for today’s presentation • Report on interviews with localization decision makers regarding multilingual CMS projects • Analysis of interviews, trends, and market directions for general and multilingual CMS • Discussion of near-term challenges and longer term concerns as companies move toward global content management (GCM) solutions

5. Interview goals & methodology • Our goal: Understand how companies develop multilingual projects • In-depth interviews with 50 managers responsible for setting or implementing strategy • In-depth interviews or analysis of three dozen content management solutions

6. But first, a definition • “Content” is any digitized information - that is, text, document, image, video, structured record, script, application code, or metadata - used to convey meaning or exchange value in business interactions or transactions.

7. CMS DAM DMS ECM GCMS GMS ICMS ML-CMS WCM But not: DBMS ERM & vertical solutions SCS Application servers Scope of analysis – buzzword compliance

8. Finding: Automation is not widely practiced in localization • Translation tools • Machine translation • Globalization management Note: GMS numbers inflated by research goal of finding out how people use them

9. Finding: Nearly 2/3 of companies build their own CMS

10. Finding: Business and tech issues drive build over buy • Cost • Product maturity • Complexity • Integration with deployed systems

11. Finding: CMS buyers often not satisfied with multilingual • High failure rate for basic & multilingual • Missing integration with multilingual tools

12. Finding: Few find GMS to be an alternative to commercial CMS • Very little decision matrix awareness • Suppliers acknowledge ~50 sales worldwide – for all their years of selling • Pricing from US$0 to 7 figures – in other words, whatever they can get • Success if and only if buyer commits attention and resources

13. CMS vendors seem nervous about multilingual applications • Most redirect inquiries to GMS or service partners, although few clients bite • Few CMS’s offer localized language or customer support for developer tools – and even fewer support administrators • American CMS firms serve the U.S. market best, if not exclusively – other regions beware • European CMS firms have a sketchy record of support for the U.S. market

14. Summary of interviews • Most companies prefer building to buying. • Ad hoc processes underpin multilingual applications. • GMS products fill a tiny niche.

15. Building buys you little

16. Sounds miserable.Why should I bother with CMS? • Too much content volume, variety, volatility, and variability not to worry • Too few formal processes – manual or automated – to manage that much stuff

17. Where should you start? It depends • SME: Be realistic about your technology appetite and ability to consume • LE and VLE: Consider consolidation of the multiple solutions already in place. • What features do I really need? • Which CMS will scale to corporate needs? • How will my needs change over time? • Anyone: the importance of content and process management, reproducibility, other enterprise “-ities”

18. Building blocks for GCM: a reference architecture • Platforms and protocol – J2EE, .Net, SOAP • Content anywhere – multiple sources, JSR170 (well, not) • Metadata – tagging, XLIFF, repository • Workflow management – open, multilingual • Collaboration – email and beyond • Search and categorization – cross-source • Transformations – to any device, any place

19. Current ECM solutions support more than vendors claim • XML integration – the goal is to leave no content manipulation tool behind • Intelligent workflow: Consider multilingual workflow and LSP interaction capabilities à la Interwoven TeamSite: • External task • Asynchronous task • OpenDeploy

20. GCM product smackdown • Xenorevenue: % not from domestic market • Enabling technology: core vs. evolved • International market & sales: active, 3rd party, or none • ECM standing: ECM, HSV, GMS, or niche • Global prospects: globalist, contender, passport, or homeboy

21. Conclusions • Most companies scrimp on multilingual tools and commercial CMS technology • Most need to define process first • Current ECM solutions are on a strong trajectory toward global CMS • Most suppliers will need some pushing from buyers on multilingual deployments

22. Insight for global market leaders Thank you. Don DePalma don@commonsenseadvisory.com +1.978.256.7621 +1.866.L10N.101 • http://www.commonsenseadvisory.com/en/solutions/research.htm • Recent reports: • “Buying Guide for Language Services” • “Design Practices for Global Gateways” • “The Greatest Localization Show on Earth?” • “Rage Against the Content Management Machine” • “Beggars at the Globalization Banquet” • “The Greatest Localization Show on Earth?” • “Where the Translation Money Is” • “Wages of Translation”