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Vignette Corporation
Texas-based commercial software company

Vignette Corporation was a company that offered a suite of content management, web portal, collaboration, document management, and records management software. Targeted at the enterprise market, Vignette offered products under the name StoryServer that allowed non-technical users to create, edit and track content through workflows and publish it on the web. It provided integration for enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management and legacy systems, supporting Java EE and Microsoft.NET. Vignette's integrated development environment and application programming interface offered an alternative to conventional Common Gateway Interface/vi/Perl web development. StoryServer was used on many large websites including those of CNET, UnitedHealth Group, The Walt Disney Company, Wachovia, Martha Stewart, Fox News, National Geographic Channel, Pharmacia & Upjohn, MetLife, BSkyB, the 2004 Summer Olympics, and NASA.

Its V6 content suites was priced at $200,000-$400,000.

In 2009, the company was acquired by Open Text Corporation.

History

In November 1995, Ross Garber and Neil Webber founded the company with the goal of making web publishing easier and more personalized.34

In 1996, the company developed StoryBuilder, its first product, which handled large-scale content management workflow. During the initial development, Vignette partnered with CNET, which had developed its own technology called PRISM that allowed for the creation and delivery of large, database-driven websites. CNET transferred the technology and $500,000 in cash to Vignette for a 33% stake in the company.567

In February 1996, the company received $400,000 of seed money from Austin Ventures and Sigma Partners.8

In July 1996, the company raised $3 million.9

In January 1997, the company released StoryServer, developed from technology acquired from CNET. It was updated in September 1997.10

In January 1998, Vignette and Firefly Networks proposed the XML based Information and Content Exchange (ICE) protocol for content syndication and submitted the specification to the World Wide Web Consortium standards body on October 26, 1998.1112

In May 1998, the company acquired RandomNoise.13

In June 1998, Garber hired Greg Peters to succeed him as CEO, and Garber became chairman of the board.14

In July 1998, the company launched StoryServer 4, which featured strong support of XML technology.

By December 1998, the company raised an additional $27.5 million in venture capital.15

The number of the company's customers rose from 130 in 199816 to 700 in 2000.17

On February 19, 1999, during the dot-com bubble, the company became a public company via an initial public offering. On the first day of trading, the stock price rose 152%, from $19 to $47.18

On February 22, 1999, the company release Vignette Syndication Server.

In May 1999, the company acquired Diffusion for 400,000 shares of its stock, then worth $32.9 million.19

In January 2000, the company acquired DataSage, a data mining and personalization application vendor, for $606 million.202122

In May 2000, the company acquired OnDisplay, an e-business application vendor, for $1.4 billion.23242526

By June 2000, the company had 1,300 employees and its stock had risen more than 1,500% from its IPO price, to $297 per share, giving the company a market capitalization of nearly $9 billion.27

In August 2000, the company signed a deal with IBM.28

In March 2001, Thomas E. Hogan was named president of the company.29

In April 2001, as the dot-com bubble burst, the company sued 13 customers that had not paid for software they received.30

In February 2002, the company's products were used for the website of The Wall Street Journal.31

In July 2002, Hogan was named CEO.32

In October 2002, the company acquired Epicentric for $32 million.3334 The company also announced Vignette V7.35

In March 2003, the company moved its offices.36

In December 2003, the company acquired CMS vendor Intraspect for $20 million.3738

In March 2004, the company acquired Tower Technology, an Australian-based provider of enterprise document and records management software, for $125 million.3940

In February 2006, the company appointed Mike Aviles as CEO.41

In April 2008, the company acquired Vidavee, a SaaS-based Web video publishing company, for $6.6 million.424344

On July 21, 2009, Open Text Corporation acquired the company for $321 million in cash and stock.45

References

  1. McLaughlin, Laurianne (May 22, 2008). "NASA Phoenix Mission to Mars: An Out-Of-This-World Content Management Challenge". CIO magazine. https://www.cio.com/article/2436135/enterprise-architecture/nasa-phoenix-mission-to-mars--an-out-of-this-world-content-management-challe.html

  2. Clyman, John (February 23, 2007). "Vignette V6 Content Suite". PC Magazine. https://au.pcmag.com/internet-2/8479/vignette-v6-content-suite

  3. Ante, Spencer E. (June 5, 2000). "Making The Web Go". Bloomberg L.P. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2000-06-04/making-the-web-go

  4. Higginbotham, Stacey (August 4, 2002). "Big vision for Vignette". American City Business Journals. https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2002/08/05/story2.html

  5. Malik, Om (October 14, 1998). "Vignette is the story". Forbes. /wiki/Om_Malik

  6. "Vignette produces Web site tools". CNET. November 13, 1996. https://www.cnet.com/news/vignette-produces-web-site-tools/

  7. Orman, Neil (September 15, 1996). "CNET ups its Vignette stake". American City Business Journals. https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/1996/09/16/story7.html

  8. Higginbotham, Stacey (August 4, 2002). "Big vision for Vignette". American City Business Journals. https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2002/08/05/story2.html

  9. Higginbotham, Stacey (August 4, 2002). "Big vision for Vignette". American City Business Journals. https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2002/08/05/story2.html

  10. FESTA, PAUL (September 16, 1997). "Vignette updates StoryServer platform". CNET. https://www.cnet.com/news/vignette-updates-storyserver-platform/

  11. Votsch, Victor (March 10, 1998). "Vignette and Firefly propose the ICE protocol". XML.com. https://www.xml.com/pub/a/ws/SeyboldReport/ip020701.html

  12. "The Information and Content Exchange (ICE) Protocol". W3. October 26, 1998. https://www.w3.org/TR/1998/NOTE-ice-19981026

  13. "Vignette to buy RandomNoise". CNET. May 11, 1998. https://www.cnet.com/news/vignette-to-buy-randomnoise/

  14. Fisher, Daniel (November 29, 1999). "Automating the Web". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/forbes/1999/1129/6413220a.html

  15. Higginbotham, Stacey (August 4, 2002). "Big vision for Vignette". American City Business Journals. https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2002/08/05/story2.html

  16. Malik, Om (October 14, 1998). "Vignette is the story". Forbes. /wiki/Om_Malik

  17. Ante, Spencer E. (June 5, 2000). "Making The Web Go". Bloomberg L.P. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2000-06-04/making-the-web-go

  18. "Internet IPOs soar". CNN. February 19, 1999. https://money.cnn.com/1999/02/19/technology/webtrends/

  19. Afzali, Cyrus (May 11, 1999). "Vignette Acquires Diffusion". QuinStreet. http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/114441/Vignette+Acquires+Diffusion.htm

  20. "Vignette Sets Deal to Buy DataSage For $606.4 Million, Lifting Shares". The Wall Street Journal. January 11, 2000. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB947537057569483479

  21. "Vignette to acquire DataSage for $553.6M in stock". Deseret News. Bloomberg News. January 10, 2000. Archived from the original on May 21, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180521025451/https://www.deseretnews.com/article/737648/Vignette-to-acquire-DataSage-for-5536M-in-stock.html

  22. Robinson, Robin A. (January 10, 2000). "Vignette buys DataSage for $595 million". Computerworld. https://www.computerworld.com/article/2594251/vignette-buys-datasage-for--595-million.html

  23. Olavsrud, Thor (May 22, 2000). "Vignette Acquires OnDisplay for $1.7 Billion". QuinStreet. http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article.php/376561/Vignette+Acquires+OnDisplay+for+17+Billion.htm

  24. McWilliams, Gary (May 23, 2000). "Vignette to Buy OnDisplay For $1.28 Billion in Stock". The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB958998993581419539

  25. "Vignette buys OnDisplay". CNN. May 22, 2000. https://money.cnn.com/2000/05/22/deals/vignette/

  26. "Vignette buys OnDisplay in $1.7B deal". ZDNet. May 22, 2000. https://www.zdnet.com/article/vignette-buys-ondisplay-in-1-7b-deal/

  27. Ante, Spencer E. (June 5, 2000). "Making The Web Go". Bloomberg L.P. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2000-06-04/making-the-web-go

  28. Bulkeley, William M. (August 3, 2000). "IBM Signs Joint Marketing Agreement In Deal With Software Vendor Vignette". The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB965260740724758369

  29. "Vignette Names Siebel's Hogan As President, Operating Chief". The Wall Street Journal. March 7, 2001. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB983889616424076761

  30. Rentner, Shannon (April 15, 2001). "Vignette goes after debts". American City Business Journals. https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2001/04/16/story7.html

  31. King, Julia (February 11, 2002). "WSJ.com Completes Web Site Overhaul". Computerworld. https://www.computerworld.com/article/2586934/networking/wsj-com-completes-web-site-overhaul.html

  32. "Vignette names new CEO". American City Business Journals. July 22, 2002. https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2002/07/22/daily4.html

  33. Mears, Jennifer (October 29, 2002). "Vignette to acquire Epicentric portal developer". Computerworld. https://www.computerworld.com/article/2578506/enterprise-applications/vignette-to-acquire-epicentric-portal-developer.html

  34. Callaghan, Dennis (October 29, 2002). "Vignette to Acquire Epicentric". eWeek. https://www.eweek.com/it-management/vignette-to-acquire-epicentric

  35. Weiss, Todd R. (October 22, 2002). "Vignette unveils new content management products". Computerworld. https://www.computerworld.com/article/2578908/app-development/vignette-unveils-new-content-management-products.html

  36. Hudgins, Matt (March 23, 2003). "Vignette moving offices". American City Business Journals. https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2003/03/24/story7.html

  37. "Vignette Completes Acquisition of Collaboration Leader Intraspect Software Inc" (Press release). Business Wire. December 11, 2003. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20031211005097/en/Vignette-Completes-Acquisition-Collaboration-Leader-Intraspect-Software

  38. "Vignette buys Intraspect". The Register. September 25, 2003. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/09/25/vignette_buys_intraspect/

  39. Pearce, James (January 23, 2004). "Vignette buys Tower Technology". ZDNet. https://www.zdnet.com/article/vignette-buys-tower-technology/

  40. "Vignette buys into traditional ECM with Tower Technology". The Register. January 30, 2004. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/01/30/vignette_buys_into_traditional_ecm/

  41. "Vignette Appoints Michael A. Aviles as Chief Executive Officer; Seasoned Executive Brings Leadership, Multi-Industry Experience and Operational Expertise" (Press release). Business Wire. February 14, 2006. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20060214005421/en/Vignette-Appoints-Michael-A.-Aviles-Chief-Executive

  42. Sergio (April 9, 2008). "VIGNETTE BUYS VIDAVEE FOR $6.6 MIL". Advertising Age. https://adage.com/article/web-video-report-news/vignette-buys-vidavee-6-6-mil/129076

  43. Rossi, Sandra (April 10, 2008). "Vignette acquires video publishing capability with Vidavee buy". Computerworld. https://www.computerworld.com.au/article/211975/vignette_acquires_video_publishing_capability_vidavee_buy/

  44. Weisenthal, Joseph (April 9, 2008). "Vignette To Acquire Video White Labeler Vidavee For $6.6 Million; Sale Price Below Total Raise". CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vignette-to-acquire-video-white-labeler-vidavee-for-66-million-sale-price-below-total-raise/

  45. "Open Text Completes Vignette Acquisition" (Press release). Open Text Corporation. July 21, 2009. https://www.opentext.com/who-we-are/press-releases?id=2233