Brian Sommer

Contributor

Brian is in a unique position to diagnosis the winners and the losers in technology and services. He was the longest running (10 years) and most senior director of Andersen Consulting's (now Accenture's) global Software Intelligence unit - …a position that required him to pick the best possible software solutions for hundreds of clients globally. He advised the firm on ERP software market forecasts and helped establish manpower planning estimates by vendor for deployment globally.Brian continues to remain close to technology buyers and sellers. When he left Andersen Consulting, he co-created a dot-com with blogger and former arch-enemy at Price Waterhouse, Vinnie Mirchandani. That firm helped broker efficient services contracts between software buyers and systems integrators. Since then, he's created TechVentive, Inc. - a company that helps technology firms better understand their markets - and Vital Analysis - the research and publishing arm of TechVentive. Brian still travels the world and publishes an impressive number of articles, research reports and blog posts annually to help software and services buyers make better business decisions. He can be reached at: brian @ vitalanalysis.com

I am co-owner of TechVentive, Inc. The company has been engaged on numerous consulting engagements, often for technology firms, service firms and litigators. As a general rule, I do not write about current clients of TechVentive. Should that occur, I will note this in blogs. Readers should assume that I have had client relationships with many ERP and other technology providers. Some of these relationships may be quite small and short-lived while others more significant. One of TechVentive's business units publishes research reports about technology providers. As a result, this business receives small amounts of revenues from a wide variety of software firms, software buyers and others when they purchase copies of reports. Some firms do secure reprint rights to these reports. None of these purchases, individually, represents a significant amount of total revenue for me and the nature of it is hard to predict where it will come from. I also provide some marketing strategy and/or market segmentation work for software firms as I have developed a unique database that segments the largest 4000+ technology buyers in the world. Many technology firms periodically engage me for unique views into this database for future marketing campaigns. I do not blog about these efforts and do not blog about client firms while they are active clients unless some pressing news story erupts. If that event occurs, I will indicate any perceived or real conflict of interest. Occasionally, I will develop unique intellectual property pieces for technology or service providers. If I should blog about a vendor with whom I have recently developed a special information product, I will note this in a blog to avoid any appearance, real or unintended, of bias. I have some of my retirement funds in mutual funds. Whether those funds are in technology stocks, I do not know. I do own stocks in several firms in several industries (e.g., railroads, energy). For the most part, I have limited investments in technology firms and consultancies. I used to be a partner with Andersen Consulting and had no ownership stake in the firm for many years. I frequently refer to this in my blogs and do not hide my prior association with the company. I did purchase a few shares of Accenture and Cognizant stock in late - 2008. I have sold some of those positions in late 2009. I also own a small stake in Workday that I acquired in 2012. Readers should assume that most software conferences that I write about involved some measure of fees waived and/or travel reimbursement. Some vendors do not reimburse any costs and I eat these out of pocket. I do not charge vendors to attend these events nor will I accept payment for same. I do get reimbursed for many speaking engagements. I generally note at the end of blogs whether the vendor reimbursed me for travel expenses. Generally, this includes airfare and hotel. I do not request, receive nor accept travel perks such as first class airfare.

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Selling that Technology: Functions, Features & Fools

Selling that Technology: Functions, Features & Fools

We got a lot of pitches from technology companies at the recent HR Technology show in Chicago. Each of us asked vendors “What are the top 3 things we should remember about your firm?” and often we were met with blank stares; a litany of functions and features; or, that rarest of all, a polished set of messages any analyst or prospect would love.

October 8, 2009 by in Hardware