EMC’s CTO: IT’s Next Inflection Points

Jeff Nick shares his company’s big-picture vision of the forces which shape enterprise computing today and explores next-generation opportunities for vendors.

By Maryann Jones Thompson, Sand Hill Group

Already one of the largest tech companies in the world, EMC has worked hard to engineer billions of dollars-worth of acquisitions over the past few years which have propelled it into an even more powerful and influential position. Its software presence is now significant – as is its participation in all of the various dimensions of IT – from storage to hardware to applications to security.

Jeffrey Nick, senior VP and chief technology officer for EMC, took the stage at Software 2007 last month to deliver a keynote address which took advantage of EMC’s big-picture view to deliver a glimpse of IT’s next set of advancements and opportunity areas.

Open Your Mind

The next generation of enterprise computing is taking shape – not in the world of SaaS or even open source. Communities, mobility and the other new technologies of the young will redefine corporate IT very soon, according to Erik Keller of Wapiti LLC. Examine his must-read analysis in this week’s post to his SandHill.com Blog, The Software Critic.

The Six-Sigma Journey to Oblivion

The longer and more detailed the product specification, the more likely a truly innovative product is to fail. David Taber of David Taber + Associates describes strategies for quality marketing which lead to successful new products in this week's post to the SandHill.com Blog on innovation.

Publish Your Perspective!

The SandHill.com Blog wants your opinions. Send your thoughts on the enterprise software industry to editor@sandhill.com and we’ll publish them in our blog.

DON’T MISS: Delivering Software as a Service

The McKinsey Quarterly takes a look at the SaaS model and explains traditional vendors should take heed. Read why in this article from The McKinsey Quarterly.

Hear Plattner & Ballmer – and More!

Keynote speakers from Software 2007 are now available as podcasts. Visit the Software 2007 podcast site and download addresses from compelling speakers and panels from the event – and watch for more new podcasts next week!

News Update: Flexing their Power

Megavendor rivalry and turf protection are shaping the future of the industry; plus, OECD is down on offshoring and Oracle is up in databases. Read these stories and more software news of the week in the latest SandHill.com Software News Summary.

Poll: Tech Stocks on the Upswing?

Tech stocks now account for 15 percent of the S&P 500’s value, down from 35 percent in 2000. Will tech stocks regain their power to drive the markets?
Take our Pulse Poll >>

Last week, readers gave their opinions on which company will take the title of fastest-growing software company of 2007.
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More at SandHill.com:

Sarbanes-Oxley isn’t really driving stocks away.
Read the most important enterprise software industry news of the week >>

PGP Corporation receives $27 million in Series C funding.
Monitor the latest software venture capital deals >>

Ziff Davis sells eWeek, CIO Insight, Baseline and rest of Enterprise Group to Insight Venture Partners for $150 million.
Size up last week's software M&A deals >>

Pete Fiore named president and CEO of Crossbeam Systems.
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

“Trust happens when leaders are transparent, candid, and keep their word. It's that simple.”
–Jack Welch

Courtesy of Malcolm Kusher, The Kushner Group