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Innovators Building and Growing the Software Ecosystem

By April 28, 2014Article

Today’s SaaS marketplace is experiencing tremendous growth and service providers are no longer discussing what opportunities are available via the cloud. Instead, they are talking about how to grow and become successful in a noisy metropolis that the cloud has cultivated.  

Let’s begin with this as a hypothesis: The cloud has set the foundation and requires the innovators to build and develop the landscape around the busy and bustling neighborhoods. In fact, each player in the cloud environment has nurtured their ecosystem and is starting to figure out how to grow faster than their competitors. However, growth cannot be accomplished without the help and support from partners and allies. 

Let’s break down what each neighborhood supplies:

  • Builders (IaaS): They supply the base, the foundation. Without their hardware and technology to the suppliers, it would not be possible to deliver the product “as-a-service.”
  • Analyzers (BI providers): These busy analyzers are constantly innovating by bringing awareness and insight into the many uses of the product and customer behaviors. These are the agents who present the information and insights that help determine the business strategy.
  • Agents (customer success): Taking the information from the analyzers, the agents learn how to streamline the sales process to win today’s customer. They immerse themselves into understanding the customer journey to drive sales and how to identify at-risk customers before they become at risk.
  • Developers (channel): The developers are a key; without them, the suppliers would not be able to gain market share on competitors. They connect us with additional suppliers to complement the offer. Without the developers, the product is stuck on the cul-de-sac.
  • Suppliers (SaaS and ISVs): These are the innovators, the core to giving this whole neighborhood something to discuss at the “Sunday BBQs.” They discover unforeseen growth opportunities with the information presented to them by the analyzers, agents and developers to execute their strategy to scale quickly. 

Every portion of this neighborhood is an integral part of the structure as a whole. Without one of the players, the others on the block will cease to thrive and communicate with one another. At the end of the day, the block is delivering value and gaining trust in the ecosystem. Small to medium businesses and large enterprise companies depend on the value being supported by each member in the community. Without it, they will not adopt nor recognize the value, and the community will not grow or expand. 

The cloud provides no borders and the sky is the limit to grow. This is the focus of SIIA’s Maximize conference next month, May 20 -22, in San Francisco. It’s another example of this impeccable neighborhood coming together to foster and build growth. 

Join the people and ideas that will change the industry at SIIA’s Maximize 2014. Use promo code MAXSAND to receive $500 off the non-member registration and reserve your spot today. SandHill is a sponsor of Maximize, and M. R. Rangaswami will moderate a session. Don’t miss this event packed with information to help grow your business. 

Rhianna Collier is vice president of the software division for the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA). She assists software companies in strengthening the collective voice of the industry globally, identifying and addressing common challenges facing the industry, and developing the strategic relationships vital to competing and succeeding in today’s marketplace. Follow her on Twitter.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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