Business Strategy for Software Executives

April 28, 2009

The Mobile Bang Theory Part II: Let the ROI Sparks Fly

Mobile technology is redefining business computing for best-in-class enterprises, igniting short-term returns with an eye towards long-term competitive differentiation.

By Jim Hemmer, Antenna Software

Last summer, we introduced the “Mobile Bang” theory which described the kind of explosive impact that mobility can have on business processes. This is based on the notion that one mobile action can trigger myriad business reactions – yielding returns exponentially higher than the initial mobile investment. But now the world is locked in the tight grip of an economic retraction. How does this current situation challenge our theory – does mobility still pack the same punch in this new world order?

The short answer is yes, the engine is firing on all cylinders. In fact, the economy is making mobility more important than ever. For business growth and innovation, most companies will continue to invest in areas with the greatest impact on ROI in the short term and competitive advantage in the long run. It’s clearly not ‘business as usual’ though – naturally, when money gets tighter there is more rigor around sign–off and development of IT projects. The good news is that mobile projects show clear evidence of improved cost containment and more effective asset and resource management – the key issues that enterprises are facing now. So instead of being back-burnered by the economic downturn, enterprise mobility has been escalated to the forefront of the corporate IT agenda.

SF Bay Area Tech CXO Dinner

May 5 in Palo Alto, Calif.

Join your executive peers for a dinner and networking event for a stimulating discussion on “Innovation in the Era of Economic Uncertainty.” The forum of VP and C-level executives from large technology companies will be led by Marthin De Beer, SVP, Emerging Technologies Group (ETG), Cisco Systems, Inc. and M.R. Rangaswami, publisher of SandHill.com.

Click here to register.

The “Last Mile” of IT Process Automation

CIOs are spending “smarter” these days. Jake Sorofman of rPath shares three IT growth areas to be excited about in this post to the SandHill.com Blog on cloud computing.

Is Sun Done?

Guy Smith of Silicon Strategies looks at the Oracle-Sun merger’s impact on the database market and remembers why he likes Larry Ellison in this post to the SandHill.com Blog on merger mania.

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.

DON'T MISS: R&D in the Downturn

Despite the economic downturn, many companies are reluctant to cut R&D activities, viewing them as a source of competitive advantage. Companies that gain the greatest benefit from R&D are actually expanding their programs. Read the findings and implications of this McKinsey Global Survey in this article from The McKinsey Quarterly.

TWTRCON SF 09 - The Twitter for Business Conference

May 31 at the Hotel Nikko, San Francisco

Companies are using Twitter to reach and engage customers, influence opinions and activate markets. Attend TWTRCON SF 09 and learn which applications will give you the opportunity to create revenue and customers, find out how to use Twitter to listen to what you customers are saying, and network and share ideas with leading business, marketing, media and PR executives, key Twitter developers and social media experts. Register with promo code SANDHILL and receive a 20% discount at http://twtrcon.com/.

News Update: A First Time for Everything

Microsoft reports a Q1 sales drop; plus, experts review the Oracle-Sun merger, VC funding hits record lows and Obama appoints a CTO. Read these stories and more software news of the week in the latest SandHill.com Software News Summary.

Poll: Mobile the Next Big Thing?

Is mobile really the next big thing in enterprise technology?
Take our Pulse Poll >>

Last week, readers gave their feelings on what drives sales today.
Give us your opinion and see the results >>

More at SandHill.com:

Budget woes drive outsourcing and cloud computing.
Read the most important enterprise software industry news of the week >>

Application Service Management solution provider BlueStripe Software received $8 million.
Monitor the latest software venture capital deals >>

Symantec acquires Mi5 Networks to bolster Web security.
Size up last week’s software M&A deals >>

GlobalLogic named Jim Walsh as CTO.
See who’s made it to the top in our list of recent software executive appointments.

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

Parting Thought

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”
— George Bernard Shaw

Courtesy of Malcolm Kusher, The Kushner Group

THIS WEEK’S SPONSOR

Cognizant is a global provider of IT, consulting and business process outsourcing services. Cognizant delivers a better Return on Outsourcing via our single-minded passion to making our customers’ businesses stronger.
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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.