Jacqueline Emigh

For many fledgling ASPs, its time to change. Early players now know that hosting general-purpose applications like Microsoft Word isnt going to pay the bills. Thats why many ASPs are spinning a new story and focusing on applications tailored to specific vertical markets—such as health care, retailing and manufacturing. Whats more, these new vertical ASPs […]

There are a few necessary steps you must take to ensure success, as you set out on the vertical solutions provider path: Choose your markets carefully. If youre already savvy about certain verticals, the selection process is a relative no-brainer. If you lack that industry expertise, youll need to complete a full-scale evaluation of potential […]

Business is booming for database vendors, but they are not sitting pretty. Theyre rolling into areas ranging from application servers and mobile/wireless to new verticals, creating opportunities for partners along the way. While database-centric vendors Informix, Oracle and Sybase are just now diversifying into new markets, Microsoft and IBM already are diversified. Industry leader Oracle, […]

Tivoli systems was on track to be a shining star in IBMs portfolio of acquisitions. But the luster has dulled to merely a distant memory. The developer of software for monitoring enterprise IT systems has suffered a streak of woes, including a massive brain drain and competition from agile newcomers that have eaten into its […]

Sometimes, it pays handsomely to partner. Just ask EMCs sales force. Under a new incentive program, EMC soon will give its salespeople financial perks when they ink customer contracts that include third-party systems integrators. The storage giant unveiled the program during a recent internal sales meeting, according to sources within EMC. The move opens the […]

IBMs software group continues to stumble, but Lotus solutions providers are worried about taking their own fall. Specifically, Lotus partners fear that they may lose some of their benefits when its partner program is folded into IBMs PartnerWorld for Software program. The software group was IBMs weakest performer in an otherwise fantastic Q4. Big Blues […]

More layoffs are in the works at financially troubled Cambridge Technology Partners (CTP), as the integrator cuts costs and looks to develop new practice areas in supply chain and vertical markets, all in an effort to climb out of the red. Struggling with depressed stock values, employee turnover and mounting losses, CTP and MarchFirst both […]

As more and more software companies step into its ranks, the CRM market keeps swelling with partnering opportunities for systems integrators and solutions providers. Like longer established CRM players before them, newer entrants are now starting to team up with high-end and midmarket integrators. With their eyes on bigger slices of the CRM pie, the […]