Two years ago, a journal was discovered while excavating in the Trough of Disillusionment of Gartner’s Hype Cycle for Enterprise Content Management (ECM) technologies. The journal told a story of fear, distrust, and desperation.

Today another tome was discovered. Written hastily in the margins of an IDOL manual was the following text. It is estimated that this was written two days after the conclusion of the previously discovered journal (which you should read 1st). The author is unknown.

The Aftermath

I am writing this huddled under the equipment of those who have gone missing. The last few days had been tense but calm. This did not prepare any of us for what was to happen this morning.

Yesterday had been fairly peaceful. IBM was finally climbing up the slope to freedom using a rope that appeared to be tied to Box. I’m not sure if Box has captured IBM or IBM has captured Box. Both seem determined to reach the upper plateau and were working together to escape.

Today that plan looks better than ever. We all woke-up to discover that OpenText had taken down Recommind. At first we were relieved it wasn’t us that had become next . It had been a few days since OpenText had last fed and we were all becoming worried. Little did we know.

Before we knew it, OpenText was consuming the few parts of Autonomy with meat on its bones. HP was clearly trying to escape the trough by discarding the last remaining shreds of ECM. HP was last seen fleeing down the valley, throwing the ECM scraps that OpenText didn’t claim to MicroFocus.

Why MicroFocus wants to join this hellish landscape is anyone’s guess.

EMC was just rescued. Dell swooped in to scoop them to safety. This had been apparent since yesterday but everyone was interested how it was going to work with Documentum still firmly attached to EMC. Then, out of nowhere, EMC kicked Documentum towards OpenText, who without pausing to finish consuming Autonomy, leapt and took down Documentum with one gigantic bite.

At that moment, everyone scattered. I managed to grab a few supplies from Autonomy while OpenText was distracted by the death throws of Documentum. I’m not sure how much longer any of us have got before we either starve to death or are consumed.

Alfresco and Nuxeo both look like they are making a move to climb up the slope but I’m not sure they have time. Documentum had been working on a plan to escape for years. It finally looked like they had the needed equipment but then OpenText happened.

OpenText always happens.

I am writing this so future generations can learn from our mistakes. Do whatever it takes to escape up the slope and find productivity. They say it’s on the plateau but I suspect I’ll never know as it is hidden by the clouds.

I have to go now. Night is falling and I’m afraid that come sunrise, OpenText will be ready to feed again. What OpenText will do to survive once we are all either dead or escaped up to the plateau is anyone’s guess.

Pray for us.