Improving Software ROI for Your Customers

A new study of buyers and sellers uncovers which strategies - and which parties - are driving the success of enterprise software deployments.

By Chris Dowse, Neochange

Today’s challenging economy is driving software buyers to demand new levels of productivity and value from their enterprise software solutions. At the same time, software vendors are working to meet the needs of their clients while navigating an increasingly complex world of technologies and business models.

Achieving Enterprise Software Success-2009, a research initiative of Neochange, SandHill.com and the TSIA, pulls back the curtain on the drivers, expectations and responsibilities surrounding the concept of software “success.” The 2009 survey of 353 software buyers and sellers yielded new insight into today’s IT environment.

The proliferation of technology combined with intricate organizational dynamics has raised the level of business IT complexity to the point of holding back software success. This excerpt from the study’s findings looks at both buyer and seller perceptions of who and what is driving the ROI on software deployments today.

Software Executives: Maximize the Cloud Opportunity

It’s not too late for software companies to morph their cloud initiatives into a winning business. Join Sand Hill Group and Cognizant invite you to a special Executive Breakfast Briefing and panel discussion, “Leveraging the Cloud – A Multi Dimensional View”. The event will take place on Nov 12, 2009 from 7:45 - 10:00am PST at the Sofitel, San Francisco Bay.

Learn secrets from real-world Business, IT and Product Engineering experts whose cloud strategies are thriving today in a panel discussion moderated by SandHill.com publisher, MR Rangaswami and featuring Malcolm Frank of Cognizant Technology Solutions, Preeti Somal of VMware and Tony Young of Informatica. Attendance is limited to VP-level and senior executives from large software companies. Email events@cognizant.com to find out more information and to RSVP.

A Product Strategy Mantra: Standardize and Simplify

Mrugendra Shintre of Cognizant Technology Solutions presents the benefits of simplifying and standardizing product offerings in this post to the SandHill.com Blog, Enabling Innovation.

How SaaS Solution Marketing is Different

Peter A. Cohen of SaaS Marketing Strategy Advisors explains how the messages, audiences and processes of SaaS marketing differ from that of on-premise software marketing in this post to his SandHill.com Blog on marketing.

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.

McKinsey on the Online Medical Records Opportunity

Part of the US economic stimulus program, EMR is a technology whose time has come. Whether or not it can deliver on its promise, it will change health care profoundly. Read more about the opportunity for software vendors in this article from The McKinsey Quarterly.

The Week in Review: Fired Up!

All eyes on Windows 7; plus FCC vs. Apple, Oracle faces new Sun roadblock, while Google and Microsoft Tweet. Read these stories and more software news of the week in the latest SandHill.com Software News Summary.

Poll: Responsible for Software Success?

Which group is most responsible for software success?
Take our Pulse Poll >>

Last week, readers voted on the biggest mistake SaaS vendors can make.
Give us your opinion and see the results >>

More at SandHill.com:

SAP earnings rise as sales sink.
Read the most important enterprise software industry news of the week >>

RedSeal Systems raises $12 million.
Monitor the latest software venture capital deals >>

Cisco to buy ScanSafe for $183 million.
Size up last week’s software M&A deals >>

SPSS founder Norman Nie named CEO of REvolution Computing.
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

“‘Do somethings’ are not moved by the criticism of ‘do nothings’.”
— Peter Sinclair

Courtesy of Malcolm Kusher, The Kushner Group

THIS WEEK’S SPONSOR

ShowingTime, a provider of software for real estate offices, remotely support 6,000+ implementations and 30,000+ users of their software. Their helpdesk services are getting rave reviews by delivering faster resolution to more end users, without adding support staff. Get rave reviews for your software helpdesk. See the case study and get a free 14-day trial of LogMeIn Rescue.
Find out more.

SOFTWARE PULSE

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

To subscribe, click here.

To unsubscribe see the bottom of this email.

Send us your feedback,
click here.

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.