Business Strategy for Software Executives

February 8, 2005

Invigorate Your Company in 2005

CEO Outlook 2005 shows many longstanding habits of software vendors may be changing - for the better. Here’s a checklist to be sure your company is keeping up with the competition.

By M.R. Rangaswami, Sand Hill Group

I’ve been part of the software industry for more than twenty years. Technologies have come and gone, but one thing hasn’t changed: software vendors’ reputation as unresponsive and inflexible. Now there are signs that things are changing. Read more >>

CEO Outlook 2005

A new study shows software leaders are planning for a year of big growth.

Most software company leaders are predicting revenue growth in excess of 30 percent over the next 12 months. So finds a new survey of software business leaders from Sand Hill Group, CEO Outlook 2005. Forecasts for industry expansion are less optimistic. However, CEOs say they’ll be increasing marketing expenses, headcount and executive salaries as well. Click here to answer five questions and see how your company stacks up. To find out more about the survey and purchase a copy of the report, click here.

Pulse Poll:
Microsoft Cooperates?

Last week, visitors picked Oracle’s next acquisition. This week, Bill Gates pledged Microsoft will work towards software interoperability. What do you think?

Take this week’s poll >>

Keep Up with Who’s at the Top

Get the latest news on software executive moves at SandHill.com. Through its partnership with Venator Partners, SandHill.com will publish the lastest senior appointments in the software industry. Read More >>

We Want Your 2 Cents

In the Community section at SandHill.com, we’ve created a user forum called "Hot Topics." Visitors can post their opinion on a particular development in the industry, or post a question about a dilemma they face on the job:

How do you feel about Microsoft’s recent pledge of interoperability?
Do you think enterprise software vendors are really changing their ways for the better?
Most executives surveyed in CEO Outlook 2005 say they’ll increase marketing budgets and headcount this year. Will your company increase its marketing budget this year? Will your company increase its headcount this year?

Finally, we created SandHill.com and this Software Pulse newsletter to better inform enterprise software executives of industry developments and foster connections within the vendor community. Let us know how we’re doing — what you like, what you don’t and what you’d like to see more of. Post your feedback in our online forum or email us at editor@sandhill.com.

More This Week at SandHill.com:

MS promises interoperability
Read More Software News >>

Latest Software M&As >>

The latest software venture capital deals >>

Review the software services directory >>

Parting Thought

"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy."
— Norman Schwarzkopf

Courtesy of Malcolm Kusher, The Kushner Group

THIS WEEK'S SPONSOR

Aztec Software provides software product development services that accelerate the creation of software products, reduce time to market and help make schedules predictable in order to better manage resources, predict costs, and reduce market and technology risks. Click here to find out more.

SOFTWARE PULSE

Software Pulse is a publication of SandHill.com, the online resource for software business strategy.

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SandHill.com is published by Sand Hill Group, which provides investment and management advice to emerging leaders in the $600 billion enterprise software, services and solutions market. Sand Hill Group produces the Software and the Enterprise series of conferences for industry executives, and authors research reports on cutting-edge technology topics. Click here to find out more.