Mediasurface

About Mediasurface

Mediasurface Limited was a UK-based developer and supplier of enterprise content management (ECM) software and related services. The company was founded in February 1996 by Ben Hayman and Steve Hebditch with the goal of creating a software tool that combined content management with business process software, rather than just focusing on website creation.

Headquartered initially in London and later in Newbury, UK, Mediasurface provided a suite of integrated software designed to be implemented across an organization. The company's core product, which was renamed Morello in 2004, enabled non-technical business users to build, manage, and contribute to sophisticated, content-driven websites, intranets, and extranets. The software separated design and navigation from content, allowing users to manage their designated content areas through a secure, centrally controlled process. Key features included workflow management, user-access controls, and integration capabilities with other enterprise applications.

Mediasurface grew through both organic development and acquisitions. In April 2005, it acquired Dutch CMS vendor Silverbullet and later acquired competing CMS vendor Immediacy in June 2007 for approximately £5.6 million. The company went public on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange in August 2004, which raised £2 million in funding. It served a range of high-profile clients, including Prudential plc, T-Mobile, Citigroup, and the UK Government Home Office.

In July 2008, Mediasurface was acquired by Alterian, a UK-based marketing software vendor. Under Alterian's ownership, the Morello product was rebranded as Alterian Content Management (ACM). The journey of the technology continued when Alterian itself was acquired by SDL PLC, a UK-based technology company, in a deal worth £68.4 million in late 2011 and finalized in January 2012.