Microsoft will divest itself of two enterprise products, NXT and Folio, selling them to software development company Rocket Software. Microsoft originally created NXT in an effort to attract ISVs to Windows Server products, while Folio came to Microsoft as part of the $1.2 billion acquisition of enterprise search company Fast Search & Transfer in 2008. Microsoft's reasons for the divestment remain cloudy.
Microsoft will divest itself of Folio and NXT, products that facilitate the
management of online content, in a deal with Rocket Software, which develops
enterprise infrastructure products. No terms of the agreement were disclosed.
Rocket Software will provide support and new product releases to Folio and
NXT customers. NXT started life within Microsoft, back in 2006, as part of an
initiative to attract ISVs to Windows Server products.
"NXT is designed to make your migration easier and more cost-effective
by giving you exclusive resources and benefits at each and every step to help
ensure [that] your transition to Microsoft is a success,"
the
NXT Website said at the time.
Under Rocket Software's umbrella,
NXT will apparently
become "a complete electronic publishing suite for midsized
professional reference publishers" that will allow users to "pull,
organize and assemble your content ... and distribute it to the Internet,
intranet or CD."
Folio, a rich-client application suite for assembling, securing and
publishing reference information, began its existence as Folio Corporation in
1987, before being purchased by Mead Data Central (LEXIS-NEXIS), Open Market
and NextPage before being acquired by FAST
(Fast Search & Transfer) in 2004.
In
an FAQ published on
the Microsoft Website, Bj??®rn Olstad, CEO
of FAST-
a
specialist in enterprise search acquired by Microsoft for $1.2 billion in 2008-and
a Microsoft distinguished engineer, offered little information about why
Microsoft had decided to sell Folio/NXT.
"It has been decided to divest these assets to Rocket Software to
provide ongoing support and services to our partners and customers who are
using these products," Olstad wrote. "After the close of the
acquisition, Rocket will be providing support and maintenance to customers and
partners who are using the Folio and NXT products. Rocket also will be the
recipient for ongoing royalty payments stemming from the publisher and other
agreements."
In a Dec. 2 statement, Rocket Software CEO
Andy Youniss wrote, "We are pleased that Microsoft selected us to take
over the development, service and support for all Folio and NXT customers."
A Web seminar for existing and previous customers, hosted by Rocket
Software, will be held on Dec. 9
and can be signed up
for here.
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