Software Agenda for 2006

Industry watchers M.R. Rangaswami, Erik Keller and Vinnie Mirchandani predict the year ahead in Open Source, Software as a Service, Services-Oriented Architecture, consolidation and other important software business developments.

By Maryann Jones Thompson, Sand Hill Group

Put three industry veterans in a room, ask for their predictions about the software business, and be ready for an earful.

"2006 will be the year that Software as a Service comes of age..."
"The big open source opportunity is the community..."
"Every major category of software is going through a redefinition process..."
"Large equity firms are actually making some bad bets..."
"This year is the beginning of bad times for Oracle & SAP..."

SandHill.com realized this experience in early January. M.R. Rangaswami, industry veteran and SandHill.com publisher, was joined by two software experts to discuss the technology, business, finance and vendor trends which will impact the business in 2006.

Erik Keller -- principal of enterprise technology strategic consultancy Wapiti, former Gartner analyst and author of Technology Paradise Lost.
Vinnie Mirchandani -- principal of vendor management consultancy SourcingWorld Partners, former Gartner analyst and PwC executive, and author of the Deal Architect blog.

The resulting podcast, "Software Agenda for 2006," is a strong dose of insight, analysis - and reality. The conversation highlights several potential opportunities and pitfalls for today's software vendors.

Software 2006 - Register Now and Save!

The biggest event in the software business takes place on April 4 and 5 in Santa Clara, Calif. and many of the industry's biggest players will be there. With visionary keynotes, dozens of in-depth workshops and numerous networking opportunities, Software 2006 is the biggest compilation of software business insight available anywhere. And the early registration rate of $1,295 ends on Jan. 30 so visit www.software2006.com to register now.

The Innovate-Exploit Correlation

Ray Lane of Kleiner Perkins calls upon software companies to innovate or dominate in a recent SandHill.com oped. Brian Sommer of TechVentive couldn't agree more. Findings from his research on the ability of technology companies to innovate and then exploit that innovation is presented in this week's SandHill.com Blog on Innovation Strategies.

Is Rational Turning a Corner?

The application development tools company has spent most of the 21st century in the doldrums. Now Tony Baer of onStrategies analyzes Rational's prospects for reawakening its application lifecycle management products in the coming year as part of the SandHill.com Blog on New Beginnings.

The SandHill.com Blog is ready for your perspectives. We publish insightful strategy and opinion pieces by a variety of software executives, analysts and professionals. If you would like to contribute a post, email editor@sandhill.com.

New Strategies for Startup Growth

Don't miss Greg Gianforte's opinion piece from last week, "Growing From Startup to Grownup." The CEO of RightNow Technologies shares his tips for driving market growth - and revenue opportunities.

Deadline to Showcase Your Company at Software 2006 is Jan. 30

Innovation is alive and well in the software industry. Software 2006 will present the evidence as part of Software Showcase. Five companies will present their most compelling offerings in four areas: Open Source, Security, Enterprise New Media, and Social Entrepreurship.

To nominate your company as a Showcase presenter, email showcase@sandhill.com. The deadline for nominations is Jan. 30, 2006. Visit the Showcase page to find out more information.

Customer Service's Moment of "Truth"

Great customer service means focusing on the interactions that matter to customers - and on the employees that man that front line of interaction. Read the analysis in The McKinsey Quarterly.

Poll: Most Influential Company of 2006?

Held over one additional week! Which software company will be most influential to the software business overall in 2006?
Take our Pulse Poll >>

Two weeks ago, SandHill.com readers picked the story which they thought will best represent the software business in 2006.
Give us your opinion and see the results >>