News
IT Factory Moves Further Into Exchange Territory
- By Scott Bekker
- April 18, 2001
A major Lotus independent software vendor is buying its way into the Microsoft Exchange market.
IT Factory this week announced plans to acquire ECMS, a Microsoft Exchange solution design firm. Cambridge-based IT Factory announced late last year its intentions to deliver collaborative solutions based on Exchange.
IT Factory calls what it does "collaborative solution frameworks."
President and CEO Lars Johansen says the acquisition of ECMS allows IT Factory to immediately provide Exchange 2000 solutions and to be in position for Microsoft's .NET initiative.
Company officials have said they value Microsoft's XML integration for collaborative work.
The company also plans to leverage its position astride the two messaging platforms that together dominate the messaging market.
"IT Factory is uniquely suited to effectively bridge these two infrastructures for the growing number of companies with both technologies deployed," Johansen said in a statement.
Microsoft blessed the acquisition by providing a quote for IT Factory's news release about the ECMS acquisition.
Last year, IT Factory made several Exchange-related acquisitions as well: Documentaal, Solutions By Design and MICA Computing Services.
Also on Tuesday, former president and CEO of Lotus, Jeff Papows, took over as chairman of IT Factory's board. Papows joined the board in July 2000. –
About the Author
Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.