|
INPUT is the authority on government business. Established in
1974, INPUT helps companies develop federal, state, and local government
business and helps public sector organizations achieve their objectives. Over
1,200 members, including small specialized companies, new entrants to the public
sector, and the largest government contractors and agencies, rely on INPUT for
the latest and most comprehensive procurement and market information,
consulting, powerful sales management tools, and educational & networking
events. For more information about INPUT, visit www.input.com or call
703-707-3500.
- editor's comments:- We all know that a lot of taxpayers money is wasted.
But if you're a company who wants to sell to government agencies - suddenly it
doesn't seem like such a bad idea that there's so much of it sloshing around.
I know from my own experience it is very complicated for companies
entering the government market for the first time. That's where this company's
services may be useful.
INPUT publishes
reports to help
participants in the government business to understand the opportunities
available. This helps to break down the entry barriers, increase competition in
the government market, and reduce costs, (and maybe even taxes). A virtuous
activity.
|
|
| Marketing Lessons from Sun's SPARC
Server History? |
... |
 |
Although all
technology markets are different - IT marketers can learn a lot about the rise
and fall of such markets by reading my monthly retrospective comments on the
home page of the
SPARC Product Directory.
Things that Sun did very well? in growing the SPARC
compatible market in the early 1990s included:-
- brainwashing partners into believing that they were participating in an
open market (rather than a proprietary one).
SPARC evangelists
(myself included) wanted to believe in the new technology revolution. Sun
started as a small company which threatened no one. By helping to accelerate its
growth - partners helped to create a monster which eventually as one SPARC
server oem told me - "ate its young." | |
- leading the server oem pack in the adoption of the internet as a business
tool.
Sun used ezines and online product datasheets to wean its
VARs away from a dependency on print media and accelerate their business
adoption of the internet (initially email and ftp archives) and then
critically (after 1994) the world wide web. This was years ahead of most IBM
and HP VARs. That ecosystem helped create the myth about the "dot in dot
com". It also educated the leading wave of competent electronic
marketing VARs.
- supporting new CPU hardware features with OS and driver software (while for
many years Microsoft ignored and failed to support new features in Intel chips).
Things
that Sun did very badly?
There are too many to mention here - but
if you want to learn important business lessons go to the
SPARC site.
As
editor of that publication I took an active part in the market's rise (by
helping to aggregate worldwide IHVs, OEMs and VARs). I also anticipated the
market's decline - starting
StorageSearch.com in 1998 as my
bolt-hole - years before it was clear to others that the Sun server market was
going to crash. | |
