Pulse Polls

How important are DRM solutions today?

No more important than they have ever been
More important because they stem revenue loss from piracy, IP theft and other factors
Less important - DRM is only a concern for traditional on-premise vendors
View Results

Is it too late for traditional vendors to make a successful transition to SaaS?

No - it is never too late
Possibly - competition from pure-play SaaS vendors is growing fast
Yes - vendors that haven't switched have missed their opportunity
View Results

How will the built-to-be-bought trend with software startups impact the industry?

Positively - startups fuel innovation in the industry and the same spirit is tough to create in a large vendor
Negatively - the short-term focus doesn't build businesses that are focused on their customers' best interests
Doesn't matter - liquidity matters and VCs are focused on M&A exits so that's just the way it is today
View Results

How has cybercrime impacted your organization?

Not significantly - we've kept threats at bay
About average
Significantly - we struggle to stay ahead of the criminals
View Results

Has Oracle's acquisition strategy paid off?

Too soon to tell - the new generation of enterprise software vendors are gaining ground on megavendors like Oracle
No - it is a matter of time before Oracle's size will work against it
Yes - Oracle is now a legitimate competitor to SAP in the enterprise apps space
View Results

To what extent will the SaaS phenomenon take over other industries?

Not very widely
Too tough to call
Widely
About the same
View Results

How long will it take for the majority of companies to transition to service-based computing?

Never happen - new models will proliferate
5-10 years
1-4 years
View Results

Who will win the SaaS platform wars?

Too early to predict
A SaaS vendor like Salesforce.com or NetSuite
An enterprise vendor like SAP, Oracle or IBM
Microsoft
Google
None of the above
View Results

What kind of impact can revenue management have on the bottom line?

Not much
A moderate lift
A significant lift
View Results

What's more important to software buyers today - basic expectations, like reliability and security, or specific technologies and business models, like SaaS or open source?

Basic expectations
Specific technologies and business models
Both are important - and intertwined
View Results

Can the technology industry grow significantly with incremental innovation or do we need another "New New Thing"?

No - a massive innovation is needed to "float all boats"
Possibly - we are transitioning to a new era for enterprise software so this is the right time for incremental innovation
Yes - Continual innovation - regardless of scale - is key to the vibrant nature of tech
View Results

Can a solidly-performing company like Sybase maintain its independence in today's rapidly consolidating software vendor landscape?

No way - investors are too demanding
Possibly - if customers and investors remain satisfied
Absolutely - Mergers are not a "must" for success
View Results

Will visualization become a standard part of the software development process by 2020?

Absolutely - software development needs to be as sophisticated and precise as automaking
Too early to tell
No - developers are reluctant to adopt new methods
View Results

How critical is it that traditional vendors "simplify" their software?

Not very - traditional vendors have a vested interest in keeping usability and deployment complex for customers
Very - Enterprise buyers are becoming more savvy and insisting on easier products and deployment
Tough to say - the battle between the more simple emerging vendor products and the more complicated, established enterprise apps is still in the early stages
View Results

Is the software suite a thing of the past?

No - the megavendors will never let it go
Maybe - It is too early to tell whether customers will want to pay for and buy best-of-breed products individually
Yes - SaaS and other Internet-driven software models present too compelling a value proposition for today's CIOs
View Results

How do you forecast software VC in 2008?

A definite downturn - can't escape the economy
Flat growth - too soon to predict ups/downs
Significant growth - proof of success and innovative solutions are driving investments
View Results

Will the ad-supported model take hold in the software industry?

No - the ad base is too unpredictable
Yes - in a few niche markets and regions
Yes - It will become as big as SaaS in the next decade
Maybe - too early to tell
View Results

What impact will this year’s economic downturn have on marketing in the software business?

Not much - software companies aren't famous for their savvy marketing strategies anyway
Positive - vendors will do more with less, and do it smarter
Negative - Budgets will get slashed for the second time in a decade and will take years to recover
View Results

Given the rush to adopt a SaaS business model, what portion of today's SaaS software companies will fail in the next 5 years?

More than 75 percent
50-74 percent
25-49 percent
Less than 10 percent
10-24 percent
View Results

Given the likelihood of a recession, how will the enterprise software market perform in 2008?

Worse than last year
About the same as last year
Better than last year
View Results

Which company will end up with Yahoo?

It will fade away on its own
Microsoft will eventually get 'em
Google
AOL
View Results

What will happen if Microsoft aquires Yahoo?

Don't worry - the deal will never happen
Microsoft will wrest control of the online ad market from Google
Microsoft *and* Yahoo will fade into oblivion together
Microsoft will use Yahoo to launch ad-supported enterprise software services
View Results

Can software companies that operate with more than one business model be successful in the long term

No - a focused approach is necessary in the end
Maybe - early signs show evidence of success
Yes - customers and investors will expect flexibility
View Results

A KPMG study found one-third of software vendors say they are losing more than 10% of their revenue to unlicensed software. What percent of revenue is your company losing?

More than 20%
16%-20%
11%-15%
6%-10%
1%-5%

Don't want to know
View Results

Will calls for reform have a positive impact on software quality?

Nothing will change the status quo
No, competitive pressure to cut costs and speed time-to-market will translate to even poorer software quality
Yes, the industry must respond to calls for improved quality
View Results

What software business story will shape 2008?

Technology spending downturn
Something else
Open source IPOs
The ramifications of Bill Gates leaving Microsoft
A mega-mega merger - maybe IBM/SAP?!
Google making strides in the enterprise
Advancement of emerging models/vendors at the expense of established vendors
Resurgence of established vendors over emerging models/vendors
View Results

What story shaped the software industry in 2007 more than any other?

Something else
The NetSuite IPO
The VMware IPO
No one has bought BEA
The rise of on-demand/SaaS software
The launch of SAP's Business By Design
View Results

Can India's software industry hit $15 billion - 15 times the size of today's market - by 2015?

No way - infrastructure and competition will hinder India's progress
Probably - India's track record on growth has been impressive
Absolutely - $15 billion is an easy target
View Results

How many years does it take to build a profitable SaaS company?

Not possible
A decade
6-8 years
3-5 years
View Results

Does your company have a plan ready in case of an economic downturn?

Yes - a formal plan is in place - we're ready
Sort of - we have a general idea of what we'll do
No - we're partying like it's 1999
View Results

What will the CIO of 2015 look like?

Much like the CIOs of today
A whole new business-driven breed
Too early to tell
View Results

Can the SaaS software market live up to analysts' aggressive forecast of $114 billion in 2010?

Absolutely - sales may even be higher
Difficult to tell
No way - too optimistic
View Results

How will the tech industry be impacted if the U.S. economy slips into recession in 2008?

The impact will be just as bad - or worse
The impact won't be as bad as the dotcom downturn
There won't be a recession
View Results

Will Oracle end up with BEA after all?

Yes - they will wear BEA down over time
No - another megavendor will step up to buy BEA
No - BEA will remain independent
Too difficult to tell
View Results

What is the highest share price Google will hit in 2007?

$800
$700
$750
It already peaked for the year
View Results

How will SAP's acquisition of Business Objects impact its M&A strategy?

Nothing - business will go on, as usual
Expect more acquisitions from SAP - a lot more
Only strategic acquisitions will be made
View Results

What will be the fate of BEA?

Something else
Go private
Bought by HP
Bought by Oracle
Stay independent
View Results

Which vendor will deliver the suite that overtakes Microsoft Office?

It'll never happen
IBM
Google
An open source vendor
A SaaS vendor
View Results

What is the most effective growth strategy for software vendors today?

M&A
Tech transfer
Invest in innovation
Expand into new geographies
Expand into new vertical markets
Go open source
Go SaaS/on-demand
Other
View Results

Which software company will be the next to "go private"?

Another company
Symantec
Sybase
i2
BEA
Ariba
View Results

Which vendor do you consider to be the biggest "disruptor" in the industry today?

No vendor deserves such a distinction - yet
Another vendor
Salesforce.com
MySQL
VMware
NetSuite
Red Hat
View Results

How will the jump of corporate VC impact software industry innovation in the near term?

The need to innovate will continue to drive investment from a variety of sources.
The increase in corporate VC deals is another sign of a new tech "bubble" forming.
Corporate investments will damage the exit opportunities for non-corporate ventures.
View Results

How critical is M&A to software vendor growth today?

It has been and will always be a key growth tactic
Less important than it was 3 years ago
More important than it was 3 years ago
View Results

Which vendor will emerge as the virtualization leader?

Another company
VMware
Microsoft
Citrix
View Results

What impact will the "America Competes" have on the U.S. competitiveness globally?

Not much - it is too late
A great deal - just what the U.S. needed
Tough to tell
View Results

Who has had the most impact on the enterprise software industry since 1997?

Linus Torvalds
Marc Benioff
Hasso Plattner
Larry Ellison
Bill Gates
View Results

How will the impact of services revenue on software vendor performance evolve over the next 3 years?

The majority of revenue for most vendors
Similar to today
Slightly less than today
View Results

How would a Microsoft vs. Salesforce.com on-demand CRM market share battle end up?

Like all battles with Redmond - Microsoft would win
Too close to call
Salesforce.com's huge head start would keep it on top
View Results

How long can America hold onto its role as tech leader?

Another nation will take over within 5-10 years without any changes
Forever, no other nation offers a tech and innovation ecosystem like that of the U.S.
For a long time if changes are made to the business, immigration and education system
View Results

Is a flurry of software IPOs on the horizon?

Not for a few years
Possibly in 2008
Q4 2007 will be the start
View Results

What impact will the need for mobile apps have on the enterprise software establishment?

Ultimately, mobile will be a nice-to-have, but not a must
User demands for mobility will leave the door open for new vendors to supply the market
Established vendors will step up and improve mobile versions
View Results

Will tech stocks regain their power to drive the stock market as they did in 2000?

No - those days are behind us
Yes - in the next 3-5 years
Yes - in the next 1-2 years
View Results

Baseline magazine says Nuance, ANSYS, Salesforce.com, Red Hat and Epicor were the 5 fastest-growing software companies in 2006. Who will be tops in 2007?

None of the above
Salesforce.com
Oracle
Microsoft
Red Hat
View Results

Will the major Indian IT services vendors become competitors to today’s major software companies?

Yes - they already are
Yes - but they won't be serious contenders for several years
No - not in this decade
View Results

How much will mobility really impact the enterprise software market in the next two years?

Significantly
Not much
Nobody really knows
View Results

How will Microsoft's threats of patent infringement impact the market for open source?

Not at all - the open source market is a thriving organism with a life all its own
Somewhat - a few vendors and large customers may get cold feet
Significantly - Microsoft's legal teams are tough and won't shy away from a prolonged legal battle
View Results

What tech companies are the best at R&D?

HP
Microsoft
IBM
Apple
Google
Salesforce.com
Another company
View Results

What will be the impact of SAP's next-gen app, "A1S," when it hits the market?

Too late - emerging vendors will have fulfilled the market need
Too early to predict - talk is easy; a working next-gen app is difficult
A great leap forward for enterprise software
View Results

Which Innovation Showcase company should be considered the industry's top innovator?

One of the "International" companies: Alfresco, Atlantis, ClusterSeven, IT Mill, Transparency or Worklight
One of the "Classic Software" companies: Accruent, Black Duck, Persystent, Ql2, rPath, Serus or UBmatrix
One of the "SaaS" companies: Brightidea.com, Ketera, Parature, Plexus, Spring CM or Xactly
One of the "Fast Track" companies: Initiate, Intralinks, MessageOne, QlikTech, SuccessFactors or Zantaz
View Results

Will the DOJ's kickback suit against HP, Sun & Accenture cause changes to the structure of IT marketing alliances?

No - this practice has been going on for years and won't change
Maybe - the threat of legal action tends to change behavior
Yes - this type of incentive is not in the customer's interest
View Results

What is the biggest threat facing the enterprise software establishment?

Something else
Their own inertia and inability to leave behind their old models
Google
On-demand and software appliance vendors
Indian, Chinese and other international competitors
Open source and build-your-own offerings
View Results

Is the current wave of financial penalties and prison terms working to keep top execs from committing white collar crimes?

Absolutely - no CEO wants to lose money or freedom
No way - execs are forced to do almost anything to please investors
Difficult to say - it remains to be seen where and how these cases of financial misconduct begin and how much top execs really know about them
View Results

What should be done in light of the H-1B visa "sell out"?

Nothing - too touchy a situation
Increase the quota - this talent improves America's competitiveness
Decrease the quota - Qualified Americans should be hired first
View Results

What will Shai Agassi's departure mean to SAP?

Not much - momentum will keep pushing the global giant forward
Uncertain - other factors are contributing to a less-than-rosy outlook
A significant challenge - competitors will use the resignation as ammunition against SAP in the market
View Results

What does Oracle's strong quarter mean for the software industry?

The acquire-to-dominate works, it makes investors happy - consolidation will increase
Consolidation may quicken but the large vendors will be increasingly slow moving and leave room for upstarts
The verdict far from "in" on which strategy will pay off in the next-generation software industry
View Results

How does innovation in the software industry compare with that of other industries?

Software is less innovative than most others
About the same
Software is more innovative than most others
View Results

Does consolidation breed software product mediocrity?

No, M&A exits are an enticing opportunity for entrepreneurs
Possibly, too early to tell
Yes, large vendors cannot maintain the innovation of smaller vendors can
View Results

Who will be the next business intelligence vendor to be acquired?

No one - prices will be too high
SAS
Microstrategy
Informatica
Cognos
View Results

Will the $1.5B verdict against Microsoft impact other vendors' usage of the MP3 technology?

No - patent fights are a "given" in the tech business
Possibly - $1.5 billion is a lot of money
Yes - very likely to scare others into compliance
View Results

How will the new Open Solutions Alliance impact adoption of open source products?

Not at all - buyers don't trust vendor claims of interoperability - even those from open source vendors
Modestly - there are still too many open source solutions to choose from - many not part of the alliance
Significantly - buyers have been waiting for this kind of expansive cooperation
View Results

Could India's position as the leading IT offshoring destination ever be surpassed?

No - India's lead is too large; technical, process and language skills are too superior
Maybe - India's costs are rising, commodotization fears are spreading
Yes - China and other nations are rapidly sophisticating their offerings
View Results

Could Oracle buyout SAP?

Never happen - regulators wouldn't allow it
Could happen - Larry Ellison has done it before
Anything's possible!
View Results

What will the future hold for Sarbanes-Oxley regulations?

They will never change; America will lose its financial leadership
They will be rolled back slightly; U.S. financial markets will rebound slightly
They'll be thrown out completely; American investors don't mind because financial markets skyrocket
View Results

What will happen to the SCO Group?

It won't be around next year
It will be acquired for assets this year
It still may emerge victorious
View Results

How will sales of Vista end up in 2007?

Disappointing
About as expected
Better than expected
View Results

Could Apple become an enterprise player?

No way - never in a serious way
Possibly - they've achieved the improbable before
Yes - Enterprise 2.0 will give users the power to choose platforms and Apple is appealing to consumers
View Results

What will be the story that shapes the software business in 2007?

CIOs will take innovative risks to stretch budgets
Vista adoption will pick up, drive IT spending
Massive offshoring/outsourcing growth will continue
Successful open source vendors will multiply
SaaS will make strides in the enterprise
Enterprise 2.0 will gain traction
A new tech investment “bubble” will take shape
View Results

What was the most important story in the software industry in 2006?

The advance of open source
The advance of SaaS/on-demand3
The advance of SOA
Continued vendor consolidation
The uptick in venture financing
The birth of Enterprise 2.0
None of the above
View Results

What does Microsoft really want out of its open source alliance with Novell?

Genuine advancement of open source initiatives
To cover its open source bets
To sabotage Novell's position
Who knows?
View Results

Compared to other industries, is the software business better able to capitalize on emerging global business trends?

No, it lags a bit
About the same
Yes, it's far ahead
View Results

Which vendor leads the CRM market today?

Oracle/Siebel
SAP
Salesforce.com
RightNow Technologies
Too close to call
View Results

What impact will the new Democratic congressional majority have on the software industry?

No big deal
Not so good for any business
Good news for tech firms
View Results

Which open source pairing would be more improbable than Microsoft & Novell?

IBM & SCO Linux
Oracle & Red Hat
No one - Microsoft and Novell are quite a match
View Results

What will Oracle's move to offer Red Hat support mean for the future of the open source company?

Certain death
Red Hat will have to get its act together - but it will live
Too early to tell
View Results

Is another investment "bubble" building?

No - investors will be much more careful this time
Yes - investors never learn!
Maybe - there are early signs of trouble
View Results

From the list of Enterprise 2006's "Next Big Thing" finalists, which one is most promising?

Zimbra
SOA Software
SensorLogic
OutlookSoft
NetSuite
View Results

Will the Indian Big 5 permanently replace the major American services firms?

Yes - for now - until the next generation of leaders emerges
Almost - but not quite
No - never happen
View Results

What do you think of HP's corporate espionage scandal?

Everyone's doing it. HP just got caught.
An embarassing, isolated case of bad judgement.
HP should put that much effort into turning the company around.
No big deal.
View Results

How will the software IPO market do in the next 12 months?

Worse than the past year
About the same as the past year
Better than the past year
View Results

What is "Enterprise 2.0" ?

Just another marketing buzzword
The entire next-generation of enterprise IT which includes Web 2.0, open source, SOA, SaaS and other new technologies and models
Web 2.0 technology applied in a corporate setting
View Results

Could a group of investors ever buy out Microsoft?

Sure - anything's possible
No way - never happen
View Results

Who will be the top "Tech Titan" (the richest tech exec) in 2011?

Bill Gates - of course!
Larry Ellison, Oracle
Azim Premji, Wipro
Sergey Brin & Larry Page, Google
Hasso Plattner, SAP
View Results

If/when will Salesforce.com hit $1B in revenue?

Never - increased competition will keep them down
3-5 years
1-2 years
View Results

Which emerging technologies will have the most impact on business in the next 5-10 years?

None of the above
Event-driven architecture
Location-aware apps
Collective intelligence
Semantic markup languages
Social network analysis
Ajax
View Results

Will open source "doom" the enterprise software industry?

Yes - open source undermines a vendor's competitive advantage
No - a variety of models will survive
Yes - not just open source but SaaS and SOA will combine to render today's industry unrecognizable
View Results

Are VCs overfunding software startups and creating a new tech "bubble"?

Of course - there is too much money out there chasing too few good startups
Maybe - too soon to tell
No way - investors got burned too badly and too recently to make the same mistakes again
View Results

How will Microsoft's entry into on-demand impact Salesforce.com?

They're history - Microsoft will ultimately conquer
They're probably fine - too early to tell
They're golden - Salesforce.com has a huge head start
View Results

After posting revenue growth of only 8% during Q2, can SAP recover and deliver 15% growth for the full year?

No - software sales are slowing again
Maybe - SAP typically delivers on its promises
Yes - the unsigned deals from Q2 will simply make for a big Q3
View Results

If/when will commoditization take hold in enterprise software?

Now - it is already happening in the minds of many customers
Within 5 years many apps will be indistinguishable
It will take at least 10 years for all of the 'commoditization' technologies to take hold in enterprises
Never - vendor lock-in strategies will evolve and stay strong
View Results

With its acquisition of RSA Security, can EMC make the storage-security play work?

No - even this one is too big for EMC
Maybe - the market need is growing
Yes - EMC wouldn't buy if RSA wasn't a sure bet
View Results

Is Oracle's $19B-worth of acquisitions paying off?

No - operating margins should be better
Maybe - too early to tell
Yes - early signs are good, with strong application sales growth
View Results

What will Bill Gates' departure mean to the future of Microsoft?

Business as usual - Gates will never really give up the reins
The end of MS dominance - no one can replace Gates' desire to stay on top
New growth possiblities - with Gates gone, philosophical bottlenecks will disappear
View Results

What is the significance of IBM's $6B investment in India?

All of the above
A genuine testament to India's potential
A big amount to scare off other tech giants
America will eventually lose its tech supremacy
View Results

What would be the impact of more H-1B visas on the technology economy?

Negative - not encouraging future generations of American tech workers
Neutral - workforce globalization is a reality all nations are reckoning with
Positive - US is not producing enough grads with needed skills
View Results

How will the increasing adoption of Linux impact the database market forecasts for 2010?

Not at all - vendor services & support will keep even Linux-based revenue high
Somewhat - databases will increasingly be seen as commodities
Significantly - open source options will wipe out overall market revenue growth by 2010
View Results

Which company will acquire SAP?

No one - they'll remain independent
Oracle
Microsoft
IBM
Google
View Results

Is consolidation hurting the future of the software ecosystem by prematurely eliminating innovative young vendors?

No - if one startup stops innovating, another one will begin
Maybe - but many large vendors have resources to bring innovation to market faster
Yes - innovation gets lost in a larger vendor's lineup
View Results

What do you think of "Duet," the new name for Project Mendocino from Microsoft & SAP?

Not even close - "harmony" is not what software vendors are known for
Not bad - evokes the ideal of the partnership
View Results

What will the guilty pleas from former CA execs do to software's reputation?

Nothing - it couldn't get any worse
Improve it - increased accountability makes for better business practices
Worsen it - customers and investors will assume more scandals on the way
View Results

What impact will China's presidential visit to Microsoft have on software piracy?

Not much - an unstoppable problem
Some improvement - it can't hurt
Significant improvement - presidential attention will get results
View Results

Is the pace of software M&A increasing again?

No - just a flurry of deals
Maybe - more than 12 deals in the past week
Yes - and its going to get even faster
View Results

What was the most popular buzzword at Software 2006?

Innovation
SaaS
Ecosystem
Open source
Tacit Interaction
View Results

What is the software story of the year so far in 2006?

More industry consolidation
Innovation makes a comeback
Open source reaches its "tipping point"
SaaS comes of age
View Results

Is Microsoft's delay of Office and Vista good for the industry?

No - feature bloat continues to delay releases unecessarily
Doesn't matter - few users will adopt right away anyway
Yes - too many software products are released before the bugs are fixed
View Results

Has Sarbanes-Oxley legislation gone too far?

No - public companies must be closely watched - and many software businesses benefit from SOX
A bit - the new, higher threshold for going public is too high
Yes - SOX dampens US competitiveness in global markets
View Results

What are your company's outsourcing plans for the coming year?

Decrease
Stay the same
Increase - offshore
Increase - onshore
View Results

When will the US market for technology IPOs come back?

Never - too many regulations and too much distrust
In 3-5 years with the debut of strong, next-generation tech companies
In 1-2 years due to enthusiasm of recent investors
View Results

What does Salesforce.com's record revenue mean for the future of on-demand apps?

All of the above
Outages mean on-demand players must match Salesforce's big infrastructure investments
More established vendors will rush to offer on-demand apps
A flood of new VC-backed, on-demand startups will hit the market
View Results

What will be the net impact of big deals like Oracle's acquisition of Sleepycat Software on the future of open source software?

Neither – open source community will continue to innovate & thrive
Negative – decreased programmer access, code access and increased cost
Positive – improved support, quality and buyer confidence in open source
View Results

What does Oracle's 2,000-person layoff say about its consolidation strategy?

Mergers on track to deliver new efficiencies
Staff cuts will hamstring Fusion's progress
More acquisitions won't happen anytime soon
View Results

How would President Bush's proposed increase in H-1B visas impact U.S. software companies?

Somewhat - most new jobs are added offshore anyway
Significantly - a shortage of talented American programmers persists
Not much - the problem is finding growth, not programming talent
View Results

SAP predicts its customer base will grow from 30,000 today to 100,000 by 2010. Can they do it?

No way
Possibly
No problem
View Results

Which software company will be most influential to the software business overall in 2006?

Another company
Google
Oracle
Microsoft
Salesforce.com
SAP
View Results

Which development will most impact the software industry in 2006?

Open source apps will take off
Vendor consolidation will continue
Enterprises will prefer on-demand apps
Offshore competitors will arise
Megavendors - such as MS, SAP, Oracle - will falter
View Results

Which news story best exemplified the software business in 2005?

Oracle's acquisition spree
Microsoft worrying about Google
VC interest in open source
Continued growth of offshoring
Success of Salesforce.com
View Results

Which large software company is the best all-around employer?

Oracle
Microsoft
SAP
IBM
View Results

What will be the hottest vertical market for software in 2006?

Another vertical
Healthcare
Defense
Finance
Life sciences
View Results

What does the dramatic Q3 growth in the server market - especially in Windows NT units - mean for the software industry?

Just another sign of a rebounding global economy
Microsoft continues to gain ground in the enteprise
New technologies are driving IT spending
View Results

What does software companies' Q3 performance mean for year-end 2005?

A strong finish
A flat year
Another year of decline
View Results

Can Microsoft refocus itself in time to take over the software services wave?

Maybe - players are still emerging
No, they're too large
Yes, they did it with the Internet
View Results