Old Rules for a New Era

Software vendor success will not be determined by a specific technology or model but by meeting customer expectations.

By M.R. Rangaswami, Sand Hill Group

SaaS. Cloud. SOA. Open source. Platform. Subscription. Mobile. Virtual. The innovation of software business is staggering. As vendors work to keep their products relevant and cutting edge, buyers simply struggle to stay on top of the ever-evolving landscape of software solutions.

When Software 2008 opens tomorrow in Las Vegas, hundreds of executives will gather to exchange insight about how to leverage the latest technology and business-model innovations in order to appeal to today’s IT buyers. Yet rather than following a specific model, vendors would be ahead to recognize that the next era will ruled by the companies that deliver on a basic set of expectations which have long governed software buyers’ needs.

Customer Study Shows a Shift in Software Buying

A new study from McKinsey & Co. and Sand Hill Group finds software will account for an increasing portion of enterprise IT budgets over the next few years. Read this new report of enterprise software buying plans and find out how trends such as SaaS, SOA and open source are impacting IT strategies. Download your complimentary copy of “Enterprise Software Customer Survey 2008” now.

Elements of Mobile App Success

B2B businesses will have to work fast to catch up to the usability expected in the consumer world of mobile apps. Karen O’Brien and Chris Generalis of Crimson Consulting Group outline the areas of key importance for businesses when launching mobile apps in this post to the SandHill.com Blog on emerging technologies.

The Demise of Windows?

When Gartner insinuated that Microsoft’s stranglehold on the desktop may be loosening, the open source community rejoiced. Guy Smith of Silicon Strategies Marketing runs down the reasons why Gartner’s proclamation may not be news, but may mark the beginning of the end in this post to the SandHill.com Blog on open source.

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.

Preparing for a Slump in Earnings

Historic trends suggest earnings may fall more than most executives expect. Companies should prepare for steeper declines and take steps to strengthen their positions when times improve. Read how in this article from The McKinsey Quarterly.

News Update: Moving the Cheese

Microsoft earnings show something’s missing; plus Salesforce teams with Google, NetSuite teams with BT and SugarCRM, desktop runtime platforms hold promise and opinions differ on Web 2.0, and more software news of the week. Read these stories and more software news of the week in the latest SandHill.com Software News Summary.

Poll: Back to Basics?

Will the expanded landscape of enterprise software options force buyers to return to basic buying expectations like reliability and security over technology bells and whistles?
Take our Pulse Poll >>

Last week, readers speculated on whether incremental innovation is enough to drive growth in the industry.
Give us your opinion and see the results >>

More at SandHill.com:

Gartner says the U.S. recession will drive offshoring.
Read the most important enterprise software industry news of the week >>

DataCore receives $30 million.
Monitor the latest software venture capital deals >>

Black Duck acquired Koders.
Size up last week's software M&A deals >>

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

Parting Thought

“The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said”
–Peter Drucker

Courtesy of Malcolm Kusher, The Kushner Group

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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.