What’s in a name

Whilst reading the blog of Jeff Kaplan, I came across an entry discussing the differences between "cloud computing" and "SaaS".  Reading the comments to this post it was clear that people were starting to get passionate about the differences between these and other terms used in this space. However we are in an emerging market …

Where is Apples SaaS story?

Picking up on a blog by Mitchell Ashley it is strange that there is no SaaS news from Apple.  As a marketing company par excellence and with Steve Jobs who has a nose for all things new and hot, why no news? Well here are 2 thoughts: 1. It’s just not relevant and they don’t …

Why does Microsoft get all the bad press?

If you follow the IT (and in many cases mainstream) news you would believe Microsoft is the only company that sells proprietary software, delivers late or has utilised questionable business tactics over the past 20 years.  Whether it be the fuss that has been made over (O)OXML, the continued antitrust debates (especially in Europe), the …

Windows Live for Business Application Developers

I have commented previously (as have many others) about the lack of clarity around Microsoft’s branding of their Software plus Services assets. Clearly there is confusion at the top level, however if we get past this confusion about labels then the partner community should be getting very excited.  As an example lets look at the …

Cars as an analogy for Buying your Software as a Commodity

Following a number of recent discussions, I have come to the conclusion that the purchase of a car is a good analogy for the changing world of purchasing software and a clear pointer to where consultants and service companies will be heading.  You may already be thinking I am mad, but stay with me and …

One word answers for Microsoft Partners

Q. Is this whole Software as a Service, Software plus Services thing important?A. YES Q. Has any vendor got everything sorted from deployment, customisation, reliability, security, partners to the rather important "how to make money"?A. NO Q. Is Microsoft serious about the Software plus Services space?A. YES Q. Is the Microsoft strategy clear and ready …

Is Microsoft vs Google a replay of HP vs Dell

HP was an established market leader with a partner based distribution channel that the industry envied.  Along comes new upstart in the form of Dell, going direct the the customer and removing the costs of the partner network.  HP refused to change, reminding anyone who would listen about the value of their partner network, the …

Corporate Social Responsibility

CSR is gaining increasing visibility at board level and companies such as Ben and Jerry’s (see here) are being held up as great examples of well run companies with a social conscience rather than crazy, hippy run pretend businesses. However, to make CSR real people often need something tangible to drive the message home.  So …

Microsoft CRM 4.0 finally out the door

  Code name "Titan" was officially RTM’d on the 17th December (see the press release here).  Although delayed (nothing new there for any software house) this launch is in my opinion a pivotal inflection point on Microsoft’s S+S journey.  This is the first Microsoft release that has taken an existing "on premise" software offering and …

Partner Advisor Councils – Microsoft Listens

  Although some people have a view that Microsoft is a money grabbing, monopoly that listens to no one and cares less about the rest, I have to confess to being of a completely different opinion. One example that supports my view are the Microsoft Partner Advisory Councils.  For a number of Microsoft’s key initiatives, …