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Business Strategy for Software Executives |
July 7, 2008 |
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A Checklist for ChangeAfter morphing Ariba’s on-premise business to an on-demand model, the CEO shares strategies for overcoming skepticism and resistance in order to put a company on a new and exciting path to success, whatever it may be.By Bob Calderoni, Ariba When the tech bubble burst, Ariba, like many companies, was in a bit of turmoil. It was very clear that if and when the market rebounded, a new way of doing business would be required. Companies would ultimately demand greater flexibility in the way they purchase and deploy software. And if we were to emerge from the downturn, we had to be able to deliver that. It wasn’t going to be easy – wholesale change never is. But as we saw it, we had no choice. On-demand was not only the future of software, but of Ariba. In 2005, Ariba, Inc. launched an aggressive plan to transform itself from a traditional licensed software company to an on-demand provider. No company its size had ever willfully given up the addiction to license revenue and survived. But many companies today are at a similar crossroads and must make the tough decisions that can make or break their business.
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The BEA Roadmap RevealedAfter much anticipation, Oracle detailed its product strategy related to the BEA acquisition. Tony Baer explains why the strategy is a conservative one but one that has paid off before in this post to the SandHill.com Blog on M&A. The Right Way to Test SoftwareSavvy vendors manage the cost and risks associated with software testing even as they keep their client’s goals in mind. Shanthi Sridhar of Cognizant Technology Solutions explains why pre-production testing is essential and offers a framework for testing best practices in this post to the SandHill.com Blog, Enabling Innovation. Publish Your Perspective!SandHill.com wants your opinions. Send your thoughts on the enterprise software industry to SandHill.com editor, Maryann Jones Thompson (maryann@sandhill.com) and have your opinions published on our site. The Next Step in Open InnovationThe creation of knowledge, products, and services by online communities of companies and consumers is still in its earliest stages. Who knows where it will lead? Read the possibilities in this article from The McKinsey Quarterly. News Update: Anti-Independence DayIf you can’t beat ‘em, partner with ‘em; plus, Microsoft fires warning shot with disruptive technology, Mac making Vista waves, U.S. economy is affecting software spend and Microsoft tries again with Yahoo. Read these stories and more software news of the week in the latest SandHill.com Software News Summary. Poll: Drivers of Change?Some software companies can make the business model switch. Some can’t. What’s the most important factor that leads to a transition’s success or failure? Last week, readers gave us their opinion about the importance of DRM solutions. More at SandHill.com:
Send us your feedback on this newsletter and the SandHill.com site. Parting Thought“Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.” Courtesy of Malcolm Kusher, The Kushner Group |
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