A Software Insiders Point of View

Blogging Platforms Provide A Good Showcase For The Power And Benefits Of Open Source
Over the past 3 years, I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of experimenting with a variety of blogging platforms.  For my day job, I use TypePad and at night I build this blog with WordPress.  (Prior to that, I used Blogger.)  Without [...]

FORWARD AND COMMENTARY
In the second update to the industry’s only business process-focused assessment of its kind, we evaluated eight leading order management hubs in a 152-criteria evaluation. The Forrester Wave provided head to head comparison of which order management hub solution would best support the 20 steps in a perfect order.  Importantly, the end [...]

Software Ownership Remains Unusual, Onerous, and Restrictive
Software licenses are truly unique.  Licensee’s can not resell, reuse, or share their licenses with others. For example, enterprises easily reuse, resell, or share tangible assets such as hardware, telecom equipment, and storage. From both a replacement and life-cycle perspective, leases for assets such as telecom equipment incorporate a [...]

PEOPLE WHISPERS: MOVES, PROMOTIONS, AND MILESTONES
Congratulations to all!  Thanks for your emails and alerts.  If you’ve got a change or know of a promotion, keep dropping me a line!
Jim Anderson is now a Partner at Element Consulting Group.  Jim previously served as EVP for professional services at Lawson Software and Group VP roles in [...]

Exclusive Webinar Invitation

Guest Speaker :
R “Ray” Wang, Forrester Research, Vice President & Principal Analyst
Project-based solutions (PBS) adoption continues to be driven by specific microverticals in professional services, construction, real estate, and the public sector. A worsening economic climate ups the ante [...]

Sponsored by Fujitsu Consulting
December 9, 2008

2:00 - 3:00 pm ET / 11:00 am - 12:00 pm PT
Featuring:
R “Ray” Wang, VP and Principal Analyst, Forrester Research
Joel Hoffman, SVP of CRM and Online Delivery, Citigroup MyFi
Join us to learn:

How SaaS and cloud computing is impacting the enterprise
How to successfully integrate SaaS solutions into your business
SaaS in Action [...]

Current Model Lopsided Towards the Large ISV’s
Rapid enterprise apps vendor consolidation over the past 5 years leave end user enterprises with fewer vendor choices and less competition.  The impact to services firms is a continued and increased dependency on the fortune and “good will” of the software vendor by IT Services firms.  However, ISV’s [...]

(Photo: The “new” modern and spacious Bengaluru (BLR) airport.  Copyright © 2008 R Wang. All rights reserved.)

New airport symbolic of Bengaluru’s on-going transformation.

Arrival into Bangalore was quite a treat with mild 75 degree (25C) weather, less humidity, and a spanking new airport built by Zurich Airport, Siemens and India’s renown Larsen & Toubro for a [...]

(Photo: The “average” tree in the middle of a recently constructed Mumbai highway.  Copyright © 2008 R Wang. All rights reserved.)

Terrorist attacks impact business travellers but not locales and battle hardened road warriors

The trip to India was a tough decision to make.  After intense discussions with the family, I left for the airport just as [...]

Consumer Price Index clauses represent additional costs of ownership that should be avoided.  Maintenance typically represents 2 times the cost of the original license fees after 10 years of ownership.  Many customers have these CPI clauses in their contracts.  In the worst cases, customers may have signed CPI + X%.  CPI adjustments provide very [...]

So it’s that time of year for holiday cheer and pundits to tempt fate and pontificate.  Here are some very very draft predictions for 2009 in order of most likely to least likely to pan out:
End user predictions

Heavy discounting continues for new license. Discounts include non-monetary concessions such as training, implementation, integration, and other [...]

With 2020 hindsight and the best rear view mirror clarity (j/k), Q3 appears to be THE deflection point in where the economy began to impact the enterprise software vendors.  A flurry of continued lowered guidance on earnings by vendors reflects the general nervousness sweeping customers and prospects as we head into the most important quarter…Q4.
Major [...]

Forward and Commentary

With my esteemed colleagues John R. Rymer and Paul D. Hamerman, we recently updated our Oracle Versus SAP In Enterprise Applications: Let The Battle Of Architectures Begin! report published in May 31st, 2006.  This new update was released October 31, 2008 and highlights a shift in direction and vendor vision [...]

PEOPLE WHISPERS: MOVES, PROMOTIONS, AND MILESTONES
Congratulations to all!  Thanks for your emails and alerts.  If you’ve got a change or know of a promotion, keep dropping me a line!
Bruce Cameron is now President of CDC Software. The former executive vice president of worldwide sales and marketing was promoted from within.  He now reports to [...]