In my previous commentary in Sandhill.com, I identified four levels of value that can be derived from the rapidly evolving Internet of Things (IoT). In THINKstrategies’ latest post in Sandhill.com, I provide a real-world example of how traditional product companies can redefine their business by capitalizing on the data produced by their products via the cloud.

en-Gauge Inc. is a family-owned business based in Rockland, Mass., which manufactures pressure gauges for safety devices such as fire extinguishers and defibrillators. Over the past 40 years since its founding, en-Gauge’s products evolved from mechanical gauges to digital gauges. The company recently introduced a new generation of sensor-based, cloud-connected gauges that will significantly change the nature of the company’s business.

Click here to read how en-Gauge’s move to the IoT via the Cloud is fundamentally changing the nature of the company’s business and exponentially expanding its addressable … Read More »

A confluence of technological and market forces is coming together to exponentially expand the past promise of Machine-to-Machine (M2M) capabilities into a wider array of Internet of Things (IoT) market opportunities. These new possibilities are also attracting a broader population of players. Many of the companies that have been producing the sensors and connectors that have been at the heart of the M2M world for years are excited about their niche market becoming more mainstream. But, they must now contend with a myriad of new companies claiming a piece of the business they’ve spent years cultivating. Click here to read THINKstrategies’ views in Sandhill.com about how these trends are transforming the marketplace and creating new competitive challenges.

I’ve had the privilege of contributing THINKstrategies’ perspectives regarding key software and technology trends to Sandhill.com for many years, and the online publication has been a key supporter of our Cloud Innovators Summits. SandHill has been conducting a series of Q&A sessions profiling ‘thought’ leaders in the software industry and asked me to participate in the series. Click here to read my response to their questions about my 30+ years in the software and technology industry, the inspiration for THINKstrategies, the key influencers in my life and work, and other forces that have shaped THINKstrategies’ expanding business model over the past thirteen years. I hope you enjoy it and it helps you understand what drives me on a day-to-day basis.

While many industry observers were speculating last month about what drove Steve Ballmer to announce his resignation as CEO at Microsoft, SugarCRM was busy pulling in another round of funding to help fuel its continued growth into new segments of the market. The latest equity investment is not only an indicator of the growing demand for CRM alternatives in general but is also another example of the growing acceptance of open source-based enterprise applications in particular.

The source of the new round of SugarCRM funding is almost as important as the amount of the investment. Click here to read THINKstrategies’ perspective in Sandhill.com regarding the industry implications of this news.

A pivotal principle that sets Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) apart from the on-premises, legacy applications of the past is the shift of the vendors’ priorities so they better align with their customers. Rather than placing the burden of deploying and managing the software on the customer, SaaS vendors have to ensure customer satisfaction, minimize churn and maximize the lifetime value of their customers.

Achieving this objective requires the right combination of staff skills, business processes and support systems. Although every successful SaaS company has been committed to the idea of customer success, capturing the right data to gain a holistic view of the customer to better serve their needs has been a significant challenge.

Click here to read why, how the Pulse2013 conference hosted by Gainsight brought attention to this issue, and how THINKstrategies sees a new generation of Cloud-based ‘Customer Success Management’ solutions is addressing … Read More »

One of the biggest dilemmas facing cloud vendors is how to penetrate mainstream small and midsize businesses (SMBs). Selling to SMBs has never been easy and historically it’s been a task delegated to tech channel partners. However, the cloud business model has created a new set of challenges regarding this age-old dilemma that have raised questions about whether traditional channel companies can meet today’s demands.

So, why are mainstream SMBs slow to move to the cloud? Click here to read THINKstrategies’ views in Sandhill.com.