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Politics. The customers. Everything outside of product. Support packages, compatibility, can it be hosted on their own servers, does it integrate with Sharepoin

by geoffw8 16y ago

Politics. The customers. Everything outside of product. Support packages, compatibility, can it be hosted on their own servers, does it integrate with Sharepoint etc etc etc. Edit: Having just scanned PG's article, I think where he says: "They get away with it for a variety of reasons that link together to form a sort of protective wall." echoes my thinking. Or does my thinking echo his? Uhm, either way :)

Travis 16y ago
Are you of the opinion that enterprise software (not the other stuff, just what you interact with on a computer) is generally of a high quality? Or, are you suggesting that the other stuff is so awful that mediocre software isn't even really a problem, due to how bad everything else is? (e.g., when you get hit with a baseball bat you forget how much your hangnail hurts).
- geoffw8 16y ago
  I'm not of any opinion on quality of software, I just know the software is only one link of the chain that makes enterprise software enterprise software. The other elements I mentioned make up the "safety blanket". I suppose in fewer words my point is: selling enterprise software isn't just about the software.
  - Travis 16y ago
    Gotcha. I wasn't sure if you were implicitly stating that the quality of E.S. isn't an issue, or if you were saying it how you clarified it. Thanks.
    - geoffw8 16y ago
      No problem. Apologies for not being clearer, its the culmination of way too many late nights and early starts.
- spokey 16y ago
  I'll suggest that the other stuff causes enterprise software to be of low quality. Not all enterprise software sucks, although much of it does. Often there are non-sucky options in the space, but they have less market share in no small part due to that other stuff. On the client side of things, if you can fix the politics you can generally fix the suck but that means as a supplier your success will be determined (in part) by how well you help the client address the politics and "other stuff". Sucky enterprise software exists (in part) because many suppliers have found that there is greater return on focusing resources on the other stuff than on focusing resources on improving the software.

by geoffw8 16y ago

Travis 16y ago

Are you of the opinion that enterprise software (not the other stuff, just what you interact with on a computer) is generally of a high quality? Or, are you suggesting that the other stuff is so awful that mediocre software isn't even really a problem, due to how bad everything else is? (e.g., when you get hit with a baseball bat you forget how much your hangnail hurts).

geoffw8 16y ago
I'm not of any opinion on quality of software, I just know the software is only one link of the chain that makes enterprise software enterprise software. The other elements I mentioned make up the "safety blanket". I suppose in fewer words my point is: selling enterprise software isn't just about the software.
- Travis 16y ago
  Gotcha. I wasn't sure if you were implicitly stating that the quality of E.S. isn't an issue, or if you were saying it how you clarified it. Thanks.
  - geoffw8 16y ago
    No problem. Apologies for not being clearer, its the culmination of way too many late nights and early starts.
spokey 16y ago
I'll suggest that the other stuff causes enterprise software to be of low quality. Not all enterprise software sucks, although much of it does. Often there are non-sucky options in the space, but they have less market share in no small part due to that other stuff. On the client side of things, if you can fix the politics you can generally fix the suck but that means as a supplier your success will be determined (in part) by how well you help the client address the politics and "other stuff". Sucky enterprise software exists (in part) because many suppliers have found that there is greater return on focusing resources on the other stuff than on focusing resources on improving the software.