January 12th, 2010 - Posted in Technology Trends by tim
To get a sense of what’s happening in the IT market, sometimes you have to look elsewhere. So, when the latest private equity fund-raising results were published (by Dow Jones LP Source, via VentureBeat), I checked on the venture capital data. Why? Venture capital trends hold some clues as to where the IT industry is headed.
December 25th, 2009 - Posted in Solution Provider Services, Strategy, Technology Trends by tim
Since everything Google does can be used to enhance the delivery of ads against search results (and in other ad venues), it doesn’t need to charge much – or anything, in some cases – for the technology it offers. Unsurprisingly, businesses become pretty interested in low-cost and no-cost solutions. Though the trend is still in its infancy, many IT buyers are opening themselves to the idea of using Google-supplied software-as-a-service solutions in place of their existing systems.
December 24th, 2009 - Posted in Solution Provider Services, Strategy, Technology Trends by tim
IT buyers are under pressure to show that their investments are performing. So, if they can keep TCO down and spread their budgets across more projects (with ROI potential), the result is an expanded ROI impact, with low investments yielding substantial returns. This means spending less – and compromising – can pay off in the long term … or at least it would appear that way. Google is making it easier for them to do this — or it’s at least creating the appearance of easier TCO and ROI.
December 23rd, 2009 - Posted in Solution Provider Services, Strategy, Technology Trends by tim
Search and online advertising offer limited upside for Google at this point. Sure, they can still contribute significantly to Wall Street’s expectations, but they won’t be sufficient to fuel the sort of growth Google needs to maintain the reputation it’s developed over the past decade. The company’s expansion into personal and enterprise applications shows that there’s a need for new revenue streams. This is the impetus for Google products that could wind up replacing some segments of the market where IT VARs operate.
December 22nd, 2009 - Posted in Solution Provider Services, Strategy, Technology Trends by tim
Being able to touch something isn’t as important as it used to be, and the ability to maintain control has declined in importance. Instead, IT departments are watching total cost of ownership and return on investment. Obviously, lower cost solutions favor these metrics. Cloud computing, software-as-a-service and other hosted and managed solutions are entering the IT cultural lexicon … and the attendant budgets and data centers. Google makes it easy to adopt, implement and afford its “nebulous” solutions. And, as long as they work as planned (which is most of the time), it’s easy for an IT department to be happy. When something goes wrong, though, remember that the Google organization and operation is not designed for support.
December 21st, 2009 - Posted in Solution Provider Services, Strategy, Technology Trends by tim
It’s easy not to see Google as a competitor. First, the company’s major operations – search and ads – don’t really interfere with what VARs are doing, namely selling and implementing IT solutions. Also, Google isn’t entering the VAR space, so again, it doesn’t look like a competitor. The problem is more difficult to detect: Google is slowly trying to replace certain parts of the IT market. Enterprise use of its Gmail service, for example, replaces the opportunity to sell mailserver solutions. The problem isn’t widespread yet, but now is the time to watch Google’s moves and determine the impact to your business.
December 20th, 2009 - Posted in Solution Provider Services, Strategy, Technology Trends by tim
Google is starting to edge its way into what would normally be considered the traditional IT business. It’s delivering both personal and enterprise applications, from office productivity to e-mail to data storage. And, it’s generally charging very little or nothing at all. For small businesses especially, Google is making a variety of IT options available at extremely low prices. If this trend continues, Google could begin to erode the markets that currently belong to traditional IT manufacturers and value-added resellers.
This week, we’re running a series on the enter:marketing blog – Five Reasons to Watch Google in 2010. Stop by every day to learn how the search engine giant is moving into other aspects of the IT industry … and how this can affect your business. To discuss ways to bolster your competitive strategy in regards to this challenge, please contact us today (opens an e-mail message).
Click here for a page to bookmark for the “Five Reasons to Watch Google in 2010″ series >>
September 1st, 2009 - Posted in Manufacturer Services, Social Media Marketing, Strategy by tim
The notion of expanding your view of the competition is not new. For decades, companies have been encouraged by the greatest minds in corporate strategy to look beyond the businesses with which they go head-to-head, and there’s no shortage of cases where entire industries have overlooked a major competitive force (the newspapers will forever be the first to come to mind). Today, however, the net you cast has to be even wider. In addition to indirect competitors, you need to be able to overcome the “noise” generated by companies that have little or nothing to do with your business.
The average IT buyer – the average person in general – is bombarded constantly with sales and marketing messaging. We see banner ads, drive by billboards and have products “placed” in front of us constantly. It’s unavoidable … and it could drown out your company’s attempts to be heard.
Often, the first instinct is to “raise your voice.” But, running more campaigns, making more cold calls and sending more event invitations means sacrificing quality – and merely creating more noise.
Instead, refuse to play by the prevailing rules. Find new ways to reach your target market, and you’ll gain an unparalleled competitive advantage. This means throwing away the playbook on which you’ve come to rely. Give me a shout at tf@entermarketing.com, and we’ll help you be heard in a noisy market … without even having to raise your voice.
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April 1st, 2009 - Posted in Social Media Marketing, Solution Provider Services by tim
For more than a decade, the IT industry has been obsessed with the concept of “first to market.” I remember the late 1990s, in particular, where a company that wasn’t first to move was believed destined to follow, as early entrants would seize market share quickly, gain an edge on the upgrade path and block anyone with similar hopes from ever realizing them. The advantage that comes with being first isn’t as widely recognized as it was 10 years ago, but it nonetheless persists, if only in a diluted form.
When it comes to social media marketing, this has led several companies to surmise that it’s too late to use it to gain an edge. They winners have already been determined, they suspect. So, why would an IT reseller invest its already limited marketing resources in this type of endeavor?
Well, we have more than a decade of perspective on the first-mover advantage, and I can tell you confidently not to believe in it. You can succeed even if you’re late to the game – but wait too long, and you really are ceding the advantage to your competitors.
