Versionate’s Wiki End Run Around Google Docs
Michael Arrington
32 comments »
Y Combinator’s second company of the summer season, Versionate, launches today. It is a document-driven wiki product - upload just about any kind of file (office docs, images, whatever) and Versionate will create an editable, wiki-like page with version and access controls.
Versionate is a distant cousin to another Y Combinator company, Scribd, which allows users to upload and display documents in Flash. Versionate, though, is a competitor to the wiki startups as well as Google Docs. It also has more flexibility than its competitors when it comes to editing documents online, since just about any type of file can be uploaded (and files can also be exported in a choice of file formats).
The company is clearly targeting a more enterprise crowd v. Google Docs and the wikis, however. And one of the most interesting parts of the service is something they say they are only considering for the future - installing Versionate on a private server:
Can we install Versionate on our internal server?Currently, we are a hosted solution only. This has the benefit of allowing us to manage all the security details and lets us roll out updates on a consistent basis. If you still wish to license our software to use on your own internal server, please contact us directly via e-mail at support@versionate.com.
Data security is the biggest hurdle for companies considering using these services. Allowing them to host the data on their own servers would give them significantly more comfort in using this, and could be, over time, a real threat to Microsoft Exchange Server/Sharepoint.
Michael - Do you really think this could be a real threat to MS Sharepoint and Exchange Server? I think it still have a really long way to go.
I’ll answer a different question: I think that there are real threats to sharepoint over the medium term from some of the startups out there, and google’s initiatives.
What is the deal with your love affair with Y-Combinator. I mean it’s cool but seriously, not every DOA company they launch is worth coverage. Y-Combinator is more like a product development factory that sells developed products to major internet companies. They’d make the same return if they were a consulting firm providing outsourced product development. You really need to have a wary eye with regards to high Paul Graham is suckering them into giving up equity at really low prices with his cult of personality.
I’d love to see even a “stripped down” version of it; would certainly give Sharepoint a run for their money if it can be done.
I think really think products like Livelink and Documentum have this market cornered. They are corporate focused products that have been around for while that understand the nitty gritty of permissioning and access control. I think it will hard for this upstarts to catch up.
One other point is that the Sharepoint, Livelink and Documentum also have the enterprise server market covered.
what does that title mean?
“Versionate’s Wiki End Run Around Google Docs”?
Do you mean “Versionate’s Wiki Runs Circles Around Google Docs”?
Versionate is really cool, I prefer their interface to google docs and the wiki-style is much better for collaboration.
Outside big business does anyone use MS sharepoint and Exchange server? This seems a lot more cost effective (free) and easy to setup.
Jay,
In your comment you state that Y-Combinator companies are DOA. You also state that Paul Graham suckers them into giving up equity at really low prices.
Which is it? Is Paul Graham taking huge chunks of equity from naive founders who don’t realize how much their IP is worth? Or is he investing in worthless DOA companies and therefore not taking enough equity? (i.e. post money valuation = 0 therefore $15,000 should buy infinity percent of the company)
You can’t have it both ways. Pick one gripe and then relentlessly post that.
- Carl
Technology competition is like a person running around in front of a steamroller. You can outrun the steamroller on any given day. But if you ever sit down you get squashed.
If the developers could get money cheaper elsewhere, they would. I’d say its a fair deal overall, but its up to each team to protect itself and use its business sense.
Michael, is Paul Graham paying you to push these ‘joke of a startup’ sites? How can you honestly compare this little app with Google Docs?!?
Roman,
This is one of the founders of Versionate. We understand the document management market has established players. However, Versionate differs from them in several ways. We make it possible to view all your content right in the browser, no need to fire up an external application. It’s also extremely simple to setup and use, which we believe businesses will find compelling.
See how we stack up against the competition: http://www.versionate.com/comparison
Mike,
I’m curious to see why you believe this is “joke of a startup” site.
It may not be a joke of a startup at all. However, a serious barrier exists here - as it does with many startups competing with the big boys - in that what has taken months to launch with little fanfare can be trumped by the major players very quickly. Good luck.
next time you talk about something, link to it.
people tell you 1,000,000 times. Don’t show off your product. You are going to put programmers at risk and doing more labor works than startups.
Advice:
Competitors or startup will copy or make more similar product.
Like #15 above, please link to the site you write about. It feels odd to click on “Versionate” and land on a Techcrunch page. I’d rather go straight to the site instead of reading one more overview.
Michael:
You have your thumb on a real hotbutton for me. Hosted wikis are basically everywhere … it’s high time someone built a decent wysiwyg wiki that I can buy and host on my own server at a reasonable price. I’ve been burned by the ‘trust your data to the little startup’ thing before.
Versionate is close to the thing I’d like to have on my own servers. Not perfect, and has some problems right now - on Vista I could not upload images, attachments, or docs, and embrassingly I couldn’t report the problem or ask for help either! (When I tried, I was unable to enter text in the dialog boxes it presented)
Note: If google added - a “Wiki”
- tab to Google docs - wouldn’t that steal some thunder
Hi Techcrunch,
Please do link to products when you write about them. Crunch Base is going to become a great resource but it’s just irritating when you have to click through it to get to the product.
Thank you.
Quux,
Please contact us directly through support@versionate.com with any issues. We would be happy to assist you.
Jay,
Seriously taking about 6% of your company to get some amazing advice from people that have worked through the industry is really invaluable. Especially when your taking about mostly fresh out of college no business experience CS nerds, which is really what YC seeks out.
I don’t really think of this as a GDocs killer, but it is still a really interesting idea that could hold its own weight, and very possibly carve out a profitable niche for itself.
I guess I would rather hear valid complaints against the application than random attacks because the start up begun as a YC company.
Uhh… http://www.mindtouch.com. Enough said.
David -
I really appreciate the comparison matrix you provided. Good stuff - as it does serve to differentiate you.
I would think think about adding Livelink and Documentum to that matrix if your planning on a corporate play.
Good work!
> it’s high time someone built a decent wysiwyg wiki that I can buy and host on my own server at a reasonable price
Atlassian has this, it’s called Confluence. It’s even listed in the comparison chart linked above. They recently offered a hosted option, but as you mention, running your own server is a requirement for some folks who can’t let their intellectual property outside their network.
it really a cool app. congrat to versionate team. just want to know… how many guy in your team?