Microsoft offers zero percent financing on Dynamics ERP and CRM. Given the economy and the credit crunch, it must make a lot of sense, right? Not really. In ERP, licensing the product is far from being the most significant cost. Training, implementation, change management, additional hardware, additional software (like database), third party software components that goes with the new package (add ons are common addition to ERP implementations) make the money you spend with Microsoft the smallest part of your investment. Continue reading “Financing an ERP product does not equal financing a car”
ERP
The Fine Line Between a Technology Company and a Holding Company
Two different but unrelated stories that developed over the weekend made me think of the above topic: Sage has announced that it will change its management team in the US after disappointing results and slow growth. Oracle in turn, made yet another attempt to snap up a technology company, continuing a shopping spree of about $30 Billion (a good summary of the drama can be found in docu-drama blog).
This is the background for the question that popped into my head: at what point is a company no longer a product or technology company, becoming a holding company? And, what is the future of holding companies in the software world? Continue reading “The Fine Line Between a Technology Company and a Holding Company”
Better Segmentation and Customer Satisfaction in Business Management Suites
Although everyone already has read “Crossing the Chasm” by Geoffrey Moore, still most of the business management/ERP products are quite generic or adapted to very few broad verticals like “Services” or “Wholesales”. In reality, calling “services” a segment is nothing but marketing: there are hundreds of very different subsegments in this industry with different needs and requests: real estate agents will need good CRM and follow-up systems, and a link to MLS, and most probably will require a good BI system that can bridge both. Contractors will need great project management systems, and lawyers will need good billing capabilities. All of them are part of the service industry, but they have very little in common. Continue reading “Better Segmentation and Customer Satisfaction in Business Management Suites”
Gadi Shamia 