Confronting Software’s Blind Spot

May 3, 2011

Confronting Software's Blind Spot

A survey conducted by Neochange and CIO Insight of 204 individuals in IT organizations reveals a startling view of the current state of software adoption success with enterprise end users. Sand Hill spoke with Chris Dowse, Co-Founder & Chief Adoption Architect of Neochange, about the survey findings around specific factors that either enable or undermine enterprise software success.

By Kathleen Goolsby, Editor, SandHill.com

Aligning IT with business goals is a top priority in businesses of all sizes and industries. The need to achieve cost optimization while also enabling employees to work more effectively has never been greater. The majority of organizations participating in the survey reported they're doing well in these goals – but the bar is pretty low. The average :effective usage: rate from the survey was 54 percent. Based on the prior year's survey, "effective usage" is considered the best proxy for software value as it reflects high levels of engaged users, quality data and actionable insights. Fifty-four percent is not a high success rate and isn't good news for the enterprise measuring return on investment (ROI) or for the software vendors looking to sell more products to customers.

Thirty-eight percent of the participating IT organizations ranked "application usability and feature relevancy" as the number-one factor undermining software value.

SAP Cloud Webinar Series: Mastering the Cloud in 8 Easy Steps

The fourth quarter of 2010 saw a dramatic leap in the adoption of cloud computing, according to Sand Hill Group's 2011 research data. More than 50 percent of business leaders Sand Hill interviewed implemented game-changing cloud solutions in the last six months. The second Webinar in the series (tomorrow, May 4) presents real-world examples of bottom-line business benefits that leading adopters of cloud computing are already realizing. The first Webinar received great feedback from attendees. Don't miss the rest of the series! Click here to register.

Is Hybrid “The New Black” in the Era of Cloud Computing?

Darren Cunningham of Informatica Cloud discusses why he believes we've hit a tipping point in the relationship between business and IT regarding cloud adoption in this post to the SandHill.com blog, The Cloud in Action.

How to Build a Disaster Recovery Solution for SaaS

Larry Steele of Savvis explains why many SaaS vendors don't have a true disaster recovery plan in this post to the SandHill.com blog, SaaS Secrets for Success.

“CK Prahalad: Reaching Over Boundaries and Expanding Possibilities” - An SMS Conference

Through a series of impactful and breakthrough ideas, Prof. CK Prahalad’s research changed the business world and helped improve lives, especially those in desperate poverty. In his honor, the Strategic Management Society is pleased to announce a special conference that brings together thought leaders, scholars, entrepreneurs, executives and consultants who have all been influenced by CK’s ideas. The conference aims not only to reflect on his many contributions to scholarship and practice, but also discover ways in which his legacy can live on.

Join us June 10-12 in an intimate setting in San Diego, Calif. You’ll hear, participate and interact with luminaries that have shaped, and are continuing to shape, the field of strategy including: M.R. Rangaswami (Founder, Corporate Eco Forum and Sand Hill Group), Yogesh Deveshwar (Chairman, ITC Limited, India); Jonathan Lash (President, World Resources Institute); Jan Oosterveld (ex-Philips); Ashok Rao (Chairman, TiE); Kanwal Rekhi (Founder, TiE); Yves Doz (INSEAD); Gary Hamel (London Business School); Stuart L. Hart (Cornell); Ted London (Michigan); Jose Santos (INSEAD), among others. This conference is shaping up to be a signature event.

Click here for more information.

Track Short-Term “Demo” Software Licenses to Improve Business Results

Cris Wendt of Flexera Software explains the benefits of tracking non-revenue short-term licenses in this post to the new SandHill.com blog, Software Monetization Best Practices.

Customer Satisfaction and the Flip Side -- Churn

M. R. Rangaswami of Sand Hill Group leads a roundtable discussion on tracking customer satisfaction and churn, especially in SaaS, in this post to the SandHill.com blog, Best Practices: Operations.

Poll: Improving End User Adoption of Software

In your experience with your customers or in your enterprise, what has been the biggest barrier to realizing software value?
Take our Pulse Poll >>

Back by Popular Demand!

Beginning today, we're bringing back a popular feature on SandHill.com. Look for the news summaries each week. Get the best of both worlds – the headlines along with a dose of perspective. We can't be everything to everyone; but we'll zero in on the news of the giants, market leaders, the startups and anybody else making waves and keep you aware of what's notable or new. Click here to read “Reinventing Underway—Lawson fetched; Oracle misleads; VCs plow into social media” and more software news of the week.

The Latest Software Business News on SandHill.com

VC Activity: Evolv Raises $15.8 Million for Talent Matching and Intelligence Software.

M&A Deals: In Latest Cloud Deal, CenturyLink To Buy Savvis For $40/Share.

Executive Moves: New executives step up at PivotLink and other software companies.

Quote of the Week

“Venture capital has become a tale of two cities: It is the best of times, it is the worst of times, it is the age of wisdom, it is the age of foolishness... Nevertheless, a rising tide is lifting all boats to varying degrees, and more capital seems to be coming back into the system, both at the bottom in the seed world and at the top from the institutional world. And from the corporate world, globally, there is a reawakened interest in emerging innovations”

- Bill Reichert, Managing Director, Garage Technology Ventures

This Week's Sponsor

Flexera Software is the leading provider of strategic solutions for Application Usage Management; solutions delivering continuous compliance, optimized usage and maximized value to application producers and their customers. Flexera Software is trusted by more than 80,000 customers that depend on our comprehensive solutions - from installation and licensing, entitlement and compliance management to application readiness and enterprise license optimization.
Find out more.

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