How to Select A Software Partner Solution Offering

A new Forrester study identifies a maturity model for evaluating the upcoming world of “last-mile” solutions.

By R “Ray” Wang, Forrester Research, Inc.

Amid a backdrop of vendor consolidation, open standards, next generation apps, and cloud based deployment options, no one software vendor can deliver innovative solutions that meet every industry vertical, business process, market segment, and geographical requirement. Consequently, major software vendors like IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, and SAP are encouraging their partners to innovate on their platforms, fill existing gaps, and ultimately help drive long-term customer loyalty. The result: each of these large software vendors now has a vast partner ecosystem filled with solutions at varying levels of integration, support, and quality.

Through interviews with 59 vendor companies and 129 end user customers, Forrester has developed a partner solution maturity model that looks at the solution offering, support lifecycle, go-to-market strategy, and socialization of the ecosystem. Software buyers can use this model when selecting a partner offering to complement their existing solutions from one or more of these software giants.

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ISVs who are delivering software-as-a-service solutions face a series of challenges. Larry Stelle of SAVVIS says the right infrastructure is key. Read his perspective in this post to the SandHill.com Blog on SaaS.

When the Best Defense is Growth

Too often, software companies go into a defensive mode when they find themselves a target of acquisition. Michael Mace of Rubicon Consulting says that actually, this is the perfect time to consider new avenues for growth. Learn more in this post to the SandHill.com Blog on growth strategies.

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Managing IT in a downturn: Beyond Cost Cutting

Looking to slash your IT investments? Consider the possibility that targeted ones might generate savings and revenues exceeding what you could save through cost cutting. Read new ideas in this article from The McKinsey Quarterly.

News Update: Black Sunday Impacts Tech Sector

Oracle sells hardware; plus, beehive may sting Microsoft, BlueCloud in demand, and API changing Web development. Read these stories and more software news of the week in the latest SandHill.com Software News Summary.

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Parting Thought

“One of my most productive days was throwing away 1000 lines of code.”
— Ken Thompson

Courtesy of Malcolm Kusher, The Kushner Group

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