Commentaries

Thanks for your interest in THINKstrategies’ views regarding the business implications of the transformation of the software and technology industry from a product-centric to a services-driven model.

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In addition, Kaplan is also a guest blogger on many corporate sites such as IBM for Midsize Business, Insight Cloud, Business Technology Roundtable hosted by Cisco Systems, and the Rackspace Blog. Many of his blogposts have also been republished by Seeking Alpha and MyVenturePad.

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Latest Published Commentaries and Columns

Internet Evolution: IT’s Time for PaaS Is Here, 6/17/2013

E-Commerce Times: Integrating the Enterprise’s Old and New Worlds, 06/15/13

AT&T Networking Exchange: Industry Standards Are Dead, Long Live Industry Standards! Four Things To Look For When Choosing A Cloud Service Provider, 06/13/13

Sandhill.com: Productizing Customer Success in the Cloud, 06/03/13

Insight Enterprise Blog: Exploring Recovery-as-a-Service to Safeguard Against Disasters, 05/30/13

Sandhill.com: ISV Migration to the Cloud via Managed Services, 05/28/13

Datamation: A New Realism Emerges as Enterprises Move to Cloud, 05/25/13

Sandhill: The Cloud is Shifting Power from Vendors to Channel Partners, 05/20/13

APMdigest: Survey Confirms Customer Preference for Hybrid IT Service Management, 05/20/13

E-Commerce Times: From BI to KPIs to Benchmark Success in the Cloud, 05/10/13

InsightCloud Blog: Leveraging Single Sign-On Solutions to Gain Control of Your Cloud Apps, 04/30/13

AT&T Networking Exchange: Where’s The Value In Private Clouds? 04/29/13

Sandhill.com: Data Integration in the Cloud Key to Capitalizing on Big Data, 04/16/13

E-Commerce Times: Using Cloud Analytics to Corral Big Data, 04/12/13

WSJ CIO Journal: Finding Better IT Management Capabilities in the Cloud, 03/25/13

Sandhill.com: How ISVs Can Cross the Chasm to the Cloud, 03/25/13

E-Commerce Times: IBM’s Big Bet on Cloud Analytics, 03/08/13

Sandhill.com: Moving from Data Integration to Management in the Cloud, 02/27/13

Internet Evolution:  Capitalizing on Cloud-Based Customer Engagement Management, 02/18/13

InformationWeek: Hybrid Cloud Management Is Within Reach, 02/11/13

Sandhill.com: What Does It Take to Sell Cloud Services to SMBs? 02/09/13

E-Commerce Times: Bringing SaaS to the Masses, 02/08/13

Datamation:  Afraid of BYOD? Build Your Own App Store, 01/28/13

Insight Cloud Blog: Capitalizing on Messaging, Collaboration and Archival Services in the Cloud, 01/17/13

E-Commerce Times: In the Cloud Big Data Scientists Need Not Apply, 01/11/13

Internet Evolution: Fantasy Sports Levels the Playing Fields for Business, 01/09/13

WSJ CIO Journal: Solving Big Data with Fantasy Sports and the Cloud, 01/04/13

Sandhill.com: Ascending the Cloud Computing Learning Curve, 01/03/13

2012 Commentaries

Datamation: Getting Ready for Cloud Computing 2013, 12/14/12

E-Commerce Times: The Shape of Cloud Computing to Come in 2013, 12/14/12

Sandhill.com:  Why the Cost of Sales Gap is Shrinking between SaaS and Legacy Software Vendors, 11/26/12

E-Commerce Times: Channeling New Cloud Opportunities, 11/09/12

Sandhill.com: Channel Opportunities in the Cloud Crystalizing, 11/08/12

Rackspace Blog: Best Practices For Managing Your SaaS Business, 11/08/12

Insight Blog: Dispelling the Myths About Cloud Security, 10/16/12

Data and Storage Management Report: Redefining Data and Storage Management in the Cloud, 10/15/12

E-Commerce Times: The Channel Steps Up to the Cloud, 10/12/12

Datamation: Be Your Own Cloud Marketplace, 10/04/12

Symform Blog:  Game-Changing Moves in the Clouds, 10/01/12

Sandhill.com: Finding the Right Channel in the Cloud, 09/25/12

APMdigest: The Convergence of APM and Identity Management in the Cloud, 09/24/12

Cordys Blog: Leveraging Cloud-Based Platforms-as-a-Service (PaaS) to Improve Your Business Processes, 09/24/12

Rackspace Blog: Why Moving to Cloud Is Not All or Nothing, 09/20/12

Insight Blog: Why Source a Cloud Solution Through the Channel? 09/19/12

E-Commerce Times: Navigating the Politics of the Cloud, 09/15/12

Ec-bp.com: Cloud Marketplaces Redefining Channel Relationships, 08/28/12

Rackspace Blog: What Does An Open Cloud Mean For The SaaS Model? 08/23/12

APMdigest: Cloud-Based Analytics Permits Peer-Based IT Management, 08/20/12

E-Commerce Times: SaaS Marketplaces Are Ready to Soar, 08/10/12

Rackspace Blog: Eight Things to Consider When Moving Your SaaS Model to the Cloud, 08/09/12

Rackspace Blog: Worry About Your SaaS, Not Your IaaS, 07/26/12

Symform Blog: The Next Enterprise Wave is Consumerization of Cloud Storage, 07/12

E-Commerce Times: Cisco Systems Stumbles in the Cloud, 07/13/12

APM Digest: The Secret to Application Performance Optimization – It’s All About the Staff Not the Software, 07/11/12

Enterprise Apps Today: Making SaaS Apps Even Better Via Customer Satisfaction Management (CSM), 07/06/12

Internet Evolution: Cloud Services Help Mend Internal IT Rift, 07/03/12

Ec-bp.com: SAP-Ariba Deal Marks Third Wave of Cloud/SaaS Migration, 06/11/12

E-Commerce Times: Avoiding the Cloud’s Dark Shadow: Needless Costs, 06/08/12

Internet Evolution: Clouds Start Talking, Machine to Machine, 06/07/12

Sandhill.com: SAP-Ariba Deal Goes Beyond the Cloud, 05/30/12

IT Services Blog: Cloud-Based Analytic Tools Can Improve IT/Application Performance, 05/11/12

Sandhill.com: Cloud Analytics Opportunities Trump Big Data Challenges, 04/15/12

E-Commerce Times: Look Who’s Going to the Big Data Party, 04/13/12

APM Digest: The Democratization of Analytics in the Cloud, 04/05/12

Ec-bp.com: How the Cloud is Transforming Big Data into Better Corporate Analytics and Business Intelligence, 04/03/12

The IT Pro Blog: Private Cloud Complexities Attract New Consultancies, 04/03/12

Integration Developer News: How the Cloud is Transforming Analytics, Big Data and BI, 03/22/12

Datamation: The Consumerization of Cloud Analytics, 03/21/12

E-Commerce Times: No Cloud Apps at Your Company? Don’t Just Blame IT, 03/09/12

Enterprise Apps Today: Using Social Apps to Solve Business Problems, 03/07/12

IT Services Blog: Cloud Brokers Are Today’s New VARs, 02/27/12

Internet Evolution: Clouds Help IT Tackle ‘Chargeback Pushback’ Challenge, 02/27/12

E-Commerce Times: Counting the Cloud’s Blessings, 02/10/12

IT Services: Cloud Services Outperform Traditional Outsourcing, 02/09/12

Datamation: Peer Networking Key in Cloud Computing, 02/07/12

IT Services: Outsourcing Failures Drive More People to the Cloud, 01/20/12

APMdigest: Three Tiers of Analytic Possibilities in the Cloud, 01/14/12

E-Commerce Times: Building Synergistic Alliances in the Clouds, 01/13/12

Internet Evolution: Google Goal for 2012: Changing You, 01/09/12

2011 Commentaries

Datamation: Forecasting Lots of Clouds in 2012, 12/27/11

IT Services: Moving to the Cloud: You Needn’t Do It Alone, 12/27/11

Internet Evolution: Human Capital Management Heads Cloudward, 12/21/11

Datamation: Cloud Computing: Show Me the Analytics, 12/12/11

E-Commerce Times: Standing Out in the Clouds, 12/09/11

Internet Evolution: Big IT Vendors Try Buying Their Way Into Cloud, 12/06/11

Internet Evolution: Why Google May Not Win in the Enterprise, 11/22/11

Sandhill.com: Market Implications of Salesforce.com’s Acquisition of Model Metrics, 11/16/11

Sandhill.com: Building Effective Channels in the Cloud, 11/13/11

ChannelPro Magazine: Finding New Channel Opportunities in the Cloud, 10/26/11

Channel Tech Network: Channels Ascend From Disintermediation to Cloud Industry Darlings, 10/25/11

Datamation: Cloud Computing Vendors: New Channel Alliances Are Critical, 10/21/11

E-Commerce Times: Reinventing Channels in the Cloud, 10/14/11

Internet Evolution: Why Tracking Cloud User Behavior Is ‘Plus’, 09/19/11

E-Commerce Times: Dreamforce Takeaway – It Is All About Cloud Channel Strategies, 09/09/11

Datamation: Are You Ready for the Social Enterprise? 09/06/11

Sandhill.com: HP’s Software Transformation Cloudy without Consumer Channel to Market, 08/21/11

Sandhill.com: Will Google’s Purchase of Motorola Be a Path to Greater Android Success or Pandora’s Box? 08/15/11

E-Commerce Times: Cloud Channel Strategies at a Crossroads, 08/12/11

Internet Evolution: DoD Embraces Clouds for Work & Warfare, 07/25/11

Datamation: SUBWAY Heads Down the Cloud Computing Highway, 07/21/11

AllAnalytics: How the Cloud Fulfills the Promise of BI/Analytics, 07/11/11

E-Commerce Times: Google’s No Bellwether for Healthcare Cloud Services, 07/08/11

Datamation: Apple’s iCloud – The ‘Music’ of Enterprise IT, 06/22/11

FinancialForce.com: Professional Services Firms Leveraging the Cloud to Respond to Escalating Customer Demands, 06/16/11

OpenView Labs: The Critical Steps for SaaS Success, 06/15/11

Internet Evolution: Clouds Could Redefine Reseller Role, 06/15/11

E-Commerce Times: Seeing Clouds Everywhere, 06/10/11

Datamation: Hey CIOs – The Cloud Is All About Data, 05/19/11

Internet Evolution: How Clouds Can Transform Enterprise Consulting, 05/18/11

E-Commerce Times: Dell’s Cloud Strategies and Solutions Take Shape, 05/13/11

ITworld: Out-Tasking Via the Cloud, 05/04/11

Datamation: The Hazards of Joining the “Cloud Provider” Bandwagon, 04/19/11

Internet Evolution: Google Rains on Cloud Computing Parade, 04/19/11

E-Commerce Times: Salesforce.com’s Best Shopping Bets, 04/08/11 

Datamation: Cloud Computing and ‘Power to the People, 03/29/11

E-Commerce Times: Amazon Web Services and the ASP Model Redux, 03/11/11

Datamation: Who Will Move You to the Cloud? 03/09/11

E-Commerce Times: Pushing the Cloud From Madison Avenue to Main Street, 02/11/11

Datamation:Capitalizing on Cloud Computing: Not If, But When, 02/08/11

E-Commerce Times: Clouds Go Vertical, 01/14/11

Corporate Publications

Hubspan Blog: Transforming the Supply-Chain in the Cloud, 06/03/11

Hubspan Blog: Catering the Cloud to Various Vertical Markets, 05/09/11

BT Global Services Conversation: Today’s Best CIO: Both Chief Infrastructure and Innovation Officer, 11/09/10

BT Global Services Conversation: The changing role of the innovative CIO, 11/08/10

E-Commerce Times

Look for New Shapes in the Clouds in 2011, 12/10/10

Here Comes a New Generation of Cloud IT Analytics, 11/12/10

Debunking the SaaS Sales Model Myth, 10/08/10

The Pitfalls of Predicting the Future, 09/10/10

The Nexus Between Open Source and the Cloud, 08/13/10

The Cloud’s Answer to the Knowledge Management Challenge, 07/09/10

The New Social Business Model: Reaping the Benefits of Online Communities, 06/11/10

How to Make the Cloud Enterprise-Ready: It’s the Support, Stupid! 05/14/10

The Reinvention of the Cloud Computing Reseller, 04/09/10

The SaaSification of IT Management, 03/12/10

Microsoft Poised to Regain Momentum in 2010, 02/12/10

2010′s Key Challenges and Opportunities in the Clouds, 01/08/10

Top 10 Cloud Computing Flashpoints of 2009, 12/11/09

IT’s Perfect Storm: Managed Services, SaaS and Cloud Computing, 11/13/09

Redefining the Value of the Cloud, 10/09/09

Getting Ready for the Google Generation, 09/11/09

The Government’s Place in the Cloud, 08/20/09

Shifting Clouds, 07/10/09

Can SaaS and Cloud Computing Be Location-Independent? 06/12/09

Do Private Clouds Make Sense? 05/08/09

SaaS and Cloud Computing - The Channel Is Far From Dead, 04/10/09

MSPs Can’t Afford Not to Swing to SaaS, 3/13/09

Why IT Is Embracing SaaS, 02/13/09

Datamation

The Five E’s of Effective Cloud Computing Management in 2011, 12/06/10

Cloud Computing or ‘Cloud-Washing’? 11/16/10

How SaaS and Cloud Computing are Transforming Education, 10/19/10

Cloud Computing – Small, Big Players Cooperate, 10/06/10

Business Processes Transformed by SaaS, 09/07/10

Cloud Computing’s Effect on the Hosting Industry, 07/27/10

How Cloud Computing Helps Mine User Data, 06/23/10

Cloud Computing 2.0 and the Changing IT Manager, 06/07/10

How to Make the Cloud Enterprise-Ready: It’s the Support, Stupid! 05/14/10

Ten Reasons to Use SaaS, 04/21/10

SaaS Survey Reveals Real World Experience, 03/29/10

Are SaaS/Cloud Computing Vendors Offering Questionable Contracts? 03/08/10

Using the Cloud to Guard Against Vendor Lock-In, 02/03/10

It’s Time for IT Managers to Adopt Cloud Computing, 01/12/10

Simplifying the Term ‘Cloud Computing’, 06/25/09

Should Security Concerns Stall SaaS Adoption? 06/17/09

How SaaS Changes the Vendor-Customer Relationship, 06/10/09

The Five P’s of SaaS Platforms, 04/22/09

Cloud Computing: Beyond Buy vs. Lease, 3/12/09

How SMBs Can Save Money Using SaaS, 02/16/09

SaaS and Cloud Computing: New Benchmarks for IT, 01/12/09

Time is Right to Consider SaaS and Cloud Computing, 10/22/08

SaaS Creates Cloud Computing Alternatives, 07/14/08

SaaS Overcoming Common Customer Concern, 06/24/08

Sandhill.com

Sandhill.com: Redefining Software, Business and Information Services, 12/22/10

SandHill.com: How Do You Measure the Economic Value of the Cloud? 09/22/10

Sandhill.com: Complex Times Demand Simpler Solutions, 02/16/10

Sandhill.com: Hardware Vendor Pack Moving Down Wrong Path, 10/02/09

Sandhill.com: 2009 Predictions for On-Demand Services Market, 01/13/09

NetworkWorld

Automated Network-Management Tools to the Rescue, 05/08/07

On-demand services set to take off in 2007, 12/04/06

Stirring the soup of service providers, 09/25/06

A New Definition for On-Demand, 7/17/06

Bridging the ITIL-SOA gap, 5/01/06

Downsizing Outsourcing, 2/13/06

Sorting through software as a service, 11/21/05

Independent MSPs struggle to survive, 09/26/05

Offshore outsourcing is off-target, 07/18/05

Outsourcing looks good, 06/05/05

Changing views on outsourcing, 05/16/05

Why managed services fail, 03/07/05

Services ready for prime time, 12/13/04

Consolidation vs. virtualization, 11/15/04

Cisco takes on managed services, 10/04/04

The failure of trade shows, 07/19/04

Redefining maintenance, 05/17/04

Adding consulting to business mix, 02/09/04

ITworld Utility Computing Web Portal

Blue Skies Ahead for Utility Computing? 12/03/07

Utility Computing Services Redux, 05/07/07

Microsoft SaaS Strategy Leverages Telcos, 09/05/06

As SaaS Grows, Partner Portfolios Pay Off, 03/07/06

The Tipping Point: 10 Reasons Services Are On The Rise, 10/26/05

Telcos jump into utility computing, 10/05/05

Perceptual gap hinders utility computing success, 6/07/05

Carr jumps on utility computing bandwagon, 5/13/05

Upping the demand for on-demand: 5 actions suppliers should take now, 1/05/05

Services: The next hot commodity, 12/1/04

On-demand price wars, 10/8/04

Who will be your utility company? 7/28/04

A CIO scorecard on utility computing, 6/1/04

Grassroots MSPs heed on-demand call, 4/22/04

The name game: Is it worth the wrangle? 4/2/04

Software Services: The next gold rush? 3/5/04

Hosted apps top on-demand services, 2/3/04

IT’s the services, stupid! 1/14/04

TechTarget 

SaaS Market Gives Rise to New Software Sales Decision-Maker, 03/28/08

Staying Competitive with SaaS Business Intelligence Services, 1/31/08

Software as a Service Revenue Opportunities for Channel Organizations, 11/28/07

SMB predictions — SaaS, ASPs and MSPs

Outsourcing and utility computing predictions for 2005

Managed services: An SMB necessity, 11/14/04

Check IT List: Choosing An Outsourcer, 09/10/04

The key to utility computing, 09/27/04

Is grid computing for SMBs? 09/13/04

The Web Hosting Review (WHIR)

Telcos Targeting SaaS, February 2007

Reshaping Web Hosting, October 2006

A Tale of Three Companies, July 2006

Capitalizing on Consolidation, April 2006

A Web Hosting To-Do List for 2006, February 2006

Telcos Target Broader Hosting, December 2005

SaaS Soaring, September 2005

Reading the Tea Leaves, August 2005

New Investors Target Hosts, June 2005

Alliances Reshape Hosting Market, April 2005

The Managed Difference, March 2005

Knocking Down the Walls, January 2005

Return of the ASP, December 2004

Teaming With VARs Adds to Hosting Reach, October/November 2004

What the Mergers Mean, September 2004

MSPs Invest in Service Delivery, July/August 2004

Hosting and Utility Computing, June 2004

Channel Insider

The Channel Implications of Dell’s Acquisitions, 11/26/07

Managed Services’ Sales Problem, 10/22/07

The SaaS Channel Opportunity, 09/06/07

Channel Insider: Dell Enters the Managed Services Business, 07/19/07

Channel Insider: On-Demand a Boon for the Channel,  7/19/06

Channel Insider: “Moving to a Managed Services Model”, 2/6/06

Mass High Tech Journal

Mass High Tech Journal: Economy Benefits SaaS, Cloud Computing, 01/30/09

Recent acquisitions bring managed services to the fore, 01/12/2004

Utility computing could make the ASP model a reality, 12/16/02

IT services companies try their hands at playing ‘Survivor’, 01/21/02

Transforming technology companies into solutions providers, 12/31/01

Rethinking your marketing strategies, 12/01/01

Managing Automation

Capitalizing on Software-as-a-Service, 11/15/05

Selecting the Right Managed Service, 10/21/05

Keys To Sorting Through Managed Services, 07/06/05

Pinpointing the Perceptual Gap Between Manufacturers and IT Suppliers, 06/21/05

Other Publications

InformationWeek: Getting Ready for Cloud Computing 2.0, 05/24/10

ComputerWorld: Five Myths About SaaS, 03/23/09

Power of the Cloud: Situational Applications Fulfill the Promise of On-Demand Services, 01/16/09

Business Communications Review: SaaS – Friend or Foe? 06/07

eWeek, Managed Services Momentum, 2/23/07

eWeek, Redefining Value-Added Services, 9/06

Business Communications Review: Enterprises Seek New Choices in Managed Services, 9/06

SmartFundIT: Why Software-as-a-Service Makes Sense, 7/01/06

Deal Architect: SaaS in the Back Office, 4/25/06

BusinessWeek Online: “Software-as-a-Service Myths”, 4/17/06

SmartBiz: “Managed Services Becoming Mainstream”, 2/6/06

Computer Reseller News: “Crossing The Managed Services Chasm”, 5/2/05

Software Business Journal: “ISVs Seek Refuge in Utility Computing Services”, 2/05

Application Development Magazine: “Utility Computing Throttles App Dev’s Value” 1/05

eWeek: “Tastes Great! Less Filling!” 11/15/04

CNet: “Busting the Myths Behind” 03/17/14 

CNet: “Inverting the IT pyramid” 01/22/04