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A Useful Addition
Observations on Software - Markets, Technology, and Companies
Friday, August 23, 2002
Observations on Software - Markets, Technology, and Companies
Friday, August 23, 2002
Symantec Facing Slim Odds in Acquisition Plays?
A decidedly bearish outlook on Symantec's odds of pulling off a massive round of acquisitions. The product purchases, although individually challenging - welcome to software - can most likely be managed successfully with careful management. The move into services makes little sense. First, as the article points out, software vendors that come pitching 'independent' services are carrying a lot of extra baggage and need to learn to overcome their bias for their solution. But a larger challenge is that running a software company is a much different business than a services shop, and most software execs don't have a clue how to run the latter.
ESM: Tanned, Rested, and Ready?
Interesting trend, although the article itself is a bit disappointing as it raises several technical questions that don't get answered. Nonetheless, it seems that after a decade or more of pushing large scale, monolithic, do-it-all network and systems management packages, BMC, Tivoli, and CA have begun to respond to economic realities by offering slimmed down, focused solutions. That will increase the challenge for point tool vendors, who will find it more difficult to kick the framework vendor's weak spot.
New and Improved Spam?
I'm sure this could be really useful and fun. I'm also sure that it will be used to produce ever more 'efficient' spam and other annoyances. Technology marches on.
A decidedly bearish outlook on Symantec's odds of pulling off a massive round of acquisitions. The product purchases, although individually challenging - welcome to software - can most likely be managed successfully with careful management. The move into services makes little sense. First, as the article points out, software vendors that come pitching 'independent' services are carrying a lot of extra baggage and need to learn to overcome their bias for their solution. But a larger challenge is that running a software company is a much different business than a services shop, and most software execs don't have a clue how to run the latter.
Has Symantec Bitten off Too Much? [Business Week: Technology]
10:33:42 AM 
ESM: Tanned, Rested, and Ready?
Interesting trend, although the article itself is a bit disappointing as it raises several technical questions that don't get answered. Nonetheless, it seems that after a decade or more of pushing large scale, monolithic, do-it-all network and systems management packages, BMC, Tivoli, and CA have begun to respond to economic realities by offering slimmed down, focused solutions. That will increase the challenge for point tool vendors, who will find it more difficult to kick the framework vendor's weak spot.
System tools slim down to cut costs. BMC, Tivoli, CA respond to economic challenges with focused offerings [InfoWorld: Top News]
10:10:48 AM
New and Improved Spam?
I'm sure this could be really useful and fun. I'm also sure that it will be used to produce ever more 'efficient' spam and other annoyances. Technology marches on.
Invited or Not, Get Ready for Video by E-Mail. Talkway Communications, makes software that enables people to send video messages over e-mail. What sets the product apart from other such programs, according to Talkway, is that the recipient does not need any special software to open and observe the videograms. By Matt Richtel. [New York Times: Business]
9:30:59 AM