Click Heels 3 Times and Say 'I want to IPO, I want to IPO'
Alas Liquidity Events, I Knew Them Well....If only wanting a liquidity event and getting it were that easy.
Software & Services Safari
Many writers explore just one tech sector. Brian looks at the entire tech ecosystem to better understand the often conflicted relationships between software vendors, integrators, outsourcers and more.
Brian Sommer
Brian is currently CEO of TechVentive, a strategy consultancy serving technology providers and other firms. He is also a research analyst with Vital Analysis.
Latest Posts
Accounting vs. Technology - Who's At Fault
Did technology play a role in the financial services meltdown?A columnist for a major IT publication documented his positions on the role of IT in the current financial services meltdown.
Quit Spinning - You're Making Me Dizzy
The Spin of TechnologyThe other day, I was with some colleagues as we discussed how well software salespeople can spin. Forget the political talking heads on cable news television as they have nothing on a great EVP of Sales for software company.
Marketing 101 for Tech Vendors
(Satire)For those of you who work for a technology firm, particularly you Marketing types, you will no doubt want to hold an “Analyst Day” to wow, dazzle and impress some influential types - like IT Research Analysts and the Enterprise Irregulars (disclosure - I'm an EI member). Do it right and you’ll get IT Research firms, bloggers and traditional media types to dedicate a lot of coverage (and hopefully a lot of positive buzz) towards your product lines.
Americans Hate Flying - Consultants Must Really Loathe It
Can't We Have a More Civilized Flying World?cSeveral media outlets picked up on a study released by the Travel Industry Association last week that indicated that 41 million Americans are forgoing air travel due to the hassles involved in doing so today.
Will Wall Street Hurt SIs and Outsourcers?
Importance of Financial Services to the Consulting & Outsourcing IndustryWhile consultants and systems integrators have some enviable margins, these firms don’t always make huge profits as they employ expensive resources who aren’t always chargeable. In fact, these firms can be quite vulnerable to minor economic swings or the loss of a key client.
Ax Falling At EDS - HP
24,600 Folks to Get Their PapersWhen HP acquired EDS, you had to wonder whether they did it for the talented employees, the EDS data centers, the customer base or the outsourcing contracts. Mark Hurd's move this week pretty much says it wasn't for the employees.
The Disaster Recovery Items Few Consider
How Too Much of a Disaster Screws Up the Best Plans I spent a lot of time one night this week with the CFO of a coastal Texas organization that’s based between Houston and Galveston. That phone interview yielded some surprising observations about disaster recovery and how things might or might not work according to your firm’s disaster recovery plan.
Is That Non-Compete Too Broad?
Interesting Calif. Case Involving Arthur Andersen(Yes, That's Not a Typo!
What if.....
What if VCs, SAP, Your Marketing Team, etc. Designed the Stop SignI took a call last week from a friend of a friend who is trying to fight off a patent troll who happens to have a really obvious patent on a process that never should have been granted patent status.