What's Working and What Needs Work
Clearly the acquisition of nCompass was a step in the right direction for Microsoft, who has needed the content management expertise of the company to complete the server suite now being readied for the solutions marketing launch later this year. The Content Connector is also exactly what Microsoft needs to do to make sure content-specific metrics are reported back into Commerce Server, and vice versa. The .NET strategy is the wild card in the entire equation of demand in the Content Management and Commerce Server platform strategies because it will be months, if not years, until Microsoft knows for certain whether its strategy of XML-based Web Services and .NET are really getting traction or not.
What clearly needs work is the capability of Microsoft to inject database and platform agnosticism into the mix of Content Management and Commerce Server. The need for greater integration with Oracle and Sybase is needed, along with a more balanced strategy when it comes to working with other e-commerce platforms. Finally, .NET is the wild card that will either have a significant positive or muted impact on both Content Management and Commerce Servers.