Intershop acquires content management firm

SINGAPORE - Intershop, a provider of electronic commerce applications and software solutions, has announced the acquisition of Subotnic GmbH.

Berlin-based Subotnic specializes in the development of content management software (CMS) and solutions designed to integrate with electronic commerce systems.

With this acquisition, Intershop significantly expands its product offering by adding Content Integrated Commerce functionality to its flagship enterprise product, Intershop enfinity.

Intershop also addresses the growing demand for integration of CMS with enterprise e-business solutions.

By 2004, the worldwide CMS market is expected to grow to more than US$5 billion, while commerce-specific CMS is expected to grow to US$2.3 billion (source: Ovum).

Subotnic 1.0, the product currently under development, represents a modular content management system for enterprises that deploy mission-critical e-commerce solutions.

It helps businesses manage commerce-specific content directly on Web pages through a simple and intuitive user interface.

Subotnic 1.0 allows customers to generate, distribute and automate personalized content independent of media channels and formats through dynamic content exchange, component-based re-use, multimedia and multichannel support.

Intershop will integrate Subotnic 1.0 with enfinity’s business design tools to offer a content management module for e-commerce platforms that help customers avoid costly and cumbersome integration of single components from multiple vendors.

Like Intershop enfinity, Subotnic 1.0 is based on technology standards such as Java, EJB, XML, and ICE.

“As Content Integrated Commerce is rapidly gaining importance for enterprises worldwide, this acquisition will help Intershop expand our leadership in the e-business software market,” said Stephan Schambach, CEO of Intershop.

By incorporating Subotnic’s 47 employees, Intershop also adds significant resources to its R&D and Product Marketing divisions. The Berlin office will become the company’s competency center for the development of content management solutions and a strategic location for Intershop Professional Services.