pirates v ninjas
The reality of open source portal, content and collaboration solutions is that they are usually quicker and easier to spin up and get working. The down side is that they are point solutions that are extremely limited in scope. They’re great tools for small, limited scope with not roadmap for growth and extension throughout the enterprise. As a result they are attractive to tactically oriented middle managers who need a solution now for a project that has already started.
The advantage of WebCenter is its holistic approach to enterprise information management. The ease with which all enterprise information from ERP & CRM & FMS integrate with web, collaboration and content management via SOA is unmatched by the open source offerings. However you have to be talking to the right audience for this message to resonate.
It takes longer to make a BMW than it does a moped. Sure they’ll both get you where you want to go but the BMW will hold more people, get there faster and you’ll stay dry when it rains. You’ll have the moped sooner and if it is sunny and you’re the only passenger then it meets your need. But what happens when someone else wants a ride? Or 3 more people?
At Fishbowl Solutions we’ve had good success positioning WebCenter for collaboration and enterprise information management when shared-services, enterprise collaboration, apps integration, content strategy and scalability are also part of the discussion. Higher level management (VPs, strategy stakeholders, CIOs) are the right audiences for this discussion.
Remember that the audience matters *not because of the budget* but rather because of the vision and scope of the solution.
Your mileage may vary.
