How to Increase Business Value from Customer Engagement in 2009

By Lyle Fong, Lithium Technologies

As businesses began re-focusing on 2009 goals, executives across almost every industry undoubtedly added maintaining and expanding their customer base to the list of top priorities for the year. Yet, too many companies struggle with how to engage customers effectively in today's increasing global and competitive environment. The good news is that the proliferation of the social web has helped make it easier for businesses to connect with customers.

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Securing the Cloud

Security must adapt to the unique technical and organizational demands that the cloud presents. Eric Olden of Symplified explains the specific challenges of security in the cloud in this post to the SandHill.com Blog on cloud computing.

Why SaaS Shines When the Sunset Comes

Recent product phaseouts by Microsoft and Oracle are one example of why Gary Damiano of Host Analytics considers SaaS to be a superior software model. Read his analysis in this post to the SandHill.com Blog on SaaS.

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.

How Companies Make Good Decisions

Companies get a lot of advice about how to make good decisions. Which decision-making disciplines really make a difference? Find out in this article from The McKinsey Quarterly.

News Update: SaaS Surges

Tough times turn clients to on-demand; plus, mixed news for virtualization vendors, SAP job cuts and growth in IT salaries. Read these stories and more software news of the week in the latest SandHill.com Software News Summary.

Poll: Engaging Customers?

What one factor will best engage software customers in 2009?
Take our Pulse Poll >>

Last week, readers picked the global trend that will shape the coming year.
Give us your opinion and see the results >>

More at SandHill.com:

Tipping point reached in cloud computing.
Read the most important enterprise software industry news of the week >>

Medical software maker Diagnosoft received $4 million.
Monitor the latest software venture capital deals >>

Radialpoint bought HiWired.
Size up last week’s software M&A deals >>

Former HP CTO Ozzie Diaz named CEO of wireless security firm, AirPatrol.
See who’s made it to the top in our list of recent software executive appointments.

Send us your feedback on this newsletter and the SandHill.com site.

Parting Thought

“Walking on water and developing software from a specification are easy if both are frozen.”
— Edward V. Berard

Courtesy of Malcolm Kusher, The Kushner Group

THIS WEEK’S SPONSOR

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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.