ISV CONVENTION
ISVs - planning and partnering
What do ISVs need in 2008?
Over 100 of the region’s top Head of EMEA ISV relations at IBM,
Partners, yes, but do they get
independent software vendors gathered Melinda Matthews, says ISVs often
to share successes and difficulties. need a helping hand when leaving their
mindshare from some of the
IT Europa MD Alan Norman told domestic market. “A lot of ISVs are full
larger companies they work delegates: “Europe has long been a of young, energetic people but they can
with? And what’s the answer
hot-bed for innovation in application find globalisation a struggle. It’s easier
to the ongoing skills crisis?
development, but the fragmentation of to get a footprint in the US sometimes,
the market and its cultural, political and as European countries are all very
And how to grow into other
economic diversity make it a challenging individual. They sometimes don’t
countries without breaking environment in which to grow.”
understand market dynamics - and this
the bank? European ISVs got
The overall message from the is where IBM helps,” says Matthews.
together earlier this year in
convention was heartening - ISVs Is it possible to expand without
are achieving great success in their the help of an IBM-sized business?
Frankfurt and hammered out
own countries with industry-focused “They can sometimes succeed on your
some ideas... solutions, and are now faced with the
own, but I don’t see why you would!
difficulties of expansion. Vendors such as ourselves, Microsoft,
T
oday’s European ISV shares So how best to succeed abroad? SAP etc have large global programmes,”
many of the challenges of larger Jeremy Roche, President of the she says.
software vendors: namely how European Software Association Meanwhile, Kevin Aspindle, senior
best to approach new geographies (ESA), says he is a strong advocate of manager partner development at
and how to find sufficiently skilled international growth by acquisition. Progress Software, is concerned that
people to drive the growth of the “With the acceleration you can achieve some software vendors do not plan
company. These were among key by making an [overseas] acquisition, their expansion thoroughly enough:
themes discussed at the European ISV with the right level of local expertise, “You have to consider a lot of things,
Convention, held by IT Europa at the it is the most successful way of moving especially how much is it going to
Intercontinental Hotel in Frankfurt. into a new European territory,” he says. cost. In my experience, it can reach
six-figures before you’ve even reached
the country.”
“You must look at your finances
and work out, ‘it is worth this’?
You’ve got to make margin or it’s
not going to work. But don’t go
alone, there is a lot of help out there.
Vendors and governments are crying
out for people to do business in their
countries,” he says.
Guest speakers at this year’s
convention also implored ISVs not to
dismiss the possibility of growth as part
of a larger organisation. Needless to
say, the topic of consolidation divides
opinions. IBM’s Matthews admits M&As
are a fact of life in the IT business, but
don’t always result in a better company.
The end-users definitely benefit
from M&As, as it brings separate
systems together. “I’m less sure that it
helps with innovation and creativity,”
she says. “It also depends on whether
JUNE 2008 8020 EUROPA 37
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