You can tell when a market is maturing when businesses begin to take over other businesses. Market share begins to rise up the importance of business metrics and confidence in the air makes the financing possible.

It also suggests a maturation of the model, bringing together “best of breed” players in one combined offer.

This is born out today by the announcement of the take-over of Xinet by North Plains. Here we have two best-of-breed DAM companies addressing the broader rich media management needs of creative workgroups, marketing departments and enterprises. Now, the thousands of combined North Plains and Xinet customers can leverage the entire lifecycle of a rich media file, from its creation and work-in-process (WIP) to its global distribution and archiving as a valued asset.

In the process, it claims to expand North Plains’ position as the largest pure-play DAM vendor in the industry. Well they would say that wouldn’t they…

This follows hot on the heels of ADAM acquiring VAN GENNEP, who together bring a tighter, in-depth collaboration of publishing platforms to market, enabling enriched cross-overs of mobile & magazine publishing, along with improved workflow collaboration.

I think this a good sign for our industry. It is bound to increase confidence in the market as a whole and let’s face it, Fortune 100 companies, et al, are going to be more inclined to place their crown jewels with growing businesses that demonstrate larger scale offers and are of increasing net worth.

What still surprises me is the lack of the larger players seeking out some of the new-on-the-block “Cloud” vendors. Has the market not matured quite enough to see Cloud as enterprise ready? We’ll see…

I am going to watch the amalgamation of these take-overs quite carefully. I think it is the start of a trend. I’d love to say you read it here first.

Now who’s next? Where’s my crystal ball?