Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : OBJECT DESIGN Inc.: Bargain of the year!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: hasbeen101 who wrote (2649)	12/21/1998 4:10:00 AM
From: GUSTAVE JAEGER	Respond to of 3194

Here's the strategy: The Red Herring magazine September 1998 WEBMETHODS Fairfax, VA Improving supply-chain management through XML-based application integration. CEO Phillip Merrick FOUNDED 1996 EMPLOYEES 35 PHONE 703/352-8501 Last funding round: PROFITABLE? Yes DATE 12/97 SIZE ($M) 2.6 TYPE First TOTAL FUNDING RAISED ($M) 4.4 WebMethods (voted best company at Herring Communications' Venture Market South show last February) is making it possible for more companies to participate in the IT supply chain. Its application-integration server and tools, written in Extensible Markup Language (XML), link businesses to each other through a nonproprietary interface that automates the exchange of data among applications, Web sites, and legacy systems. The service could save companies a lot of money by obviating the need to overhaul or update proprietary enterprise resource planning or electronic data interchange software. Key to the company's future success is XML, a new standard that defines data in such a way that it can be used by nearly any application on the Internet. To help ensure the widespread use of its products, WebMethods sits on the board of the World Wide Web Consortium, the standards body that ratified XML's first specifications, as well as on RosettaNet, a consortium of 30 major software and hardware companies (including Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Oracle, and American Express) that is pushing for XML to be used in all Internet-based enterprise management. WebMethods has some stiff competition in the XML-based application-integration software niche, including from DataChannel (another Herring 100 private company) and OmniMark Technologies. But by securing an increasing number of blue-chip customers like DHL Airways, HP, Ericsson, Cisco Systems, 3Com, Motorola, and Intel, WebMethods is positioning itself at the forefront of the massive trend toward streamlining supply-chain management. According to Forrester Research, one-third of companies' IT budgets is spent on application-integration software. Even if WebMethods ends up splitting the market with its competitors, it should do very well indeed. ---------------- I know 35 people's not much but hopefully, webMethods's payroll keeps growing: webmethods.com BTW, it's interesting to note the ''corporate balance'' between a company employing 300+ people (ODIS) and a smaller one with 35 employees: which one is leveraging the other's technology? I think it's fair enough to assume that ODIS's got 35 more people dedicated to push eXcelon inside the Fortune 1000 market. From the point of view of webMethods the deal is excellent as well since they likely grab the lion's share of the combined value-added. Furthermore, their respective corporate cultures are pretty much the same --both are small-caps, after all. It's the kind of partnership where 300 + 35 = XXX with XXX >> 335!