5 Reasons Tech Vendors Exaggerate - InformationWeek

InformationWeek is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them.Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

CIO Insights & Innovation
Security & Risk Strategy
Team Building & Staffing
IT Strategy
Digital Business
Project Management
Programming Languages
Dr. Dobb's
Enterprise Applications
Operating Systems
Productivity/Collaboration Apps
Network Security
Careers & People
Threat Intelligence
IoT
Attacks & Breaches
Application Security
Cloud Security
Endpoint Security
Mobile Security
Perimeter Security
Risk Management
Operations Security
Analytics
Vulnerabilities & Threats
Security & Risk Strategy
Infrastructure as a Service
Platform as a Service
Software as a Service
Cloud Storage
Data Centers
Mobile Applications
Mobile Devices
Mobile Business
Enterprise Mobility Management
AI/Machine Learning
Big Data Analytics
Hardware/Architectures
Software Platforms
IoT
Networking
Wireless Infrastructure
Data Centers
Cloud Infrastructure
Careers and Certifications
Network Security
Government
Healthcare
Wall Street & Technology
Bank Systems & Technology
Insurance & Technology
Industries
Government
Healthcare
Wall Street & Technology
Bank Systems & Technology
Insurance & Technology
IT Life
Careers
Mobile
Mobile Applications
Mobile Devices
Mobile Business
Enterprise Mobility Management
Software
Enterprise Applications
Operating Systems
Productivity/Collaboration Apps
Comments
5 Reasons Tech Vendors Exaggerate
Newest First  |  Oldest First  |  Threaded View
Joe Stanganelli
50%
50%
Joe Stanganelli,
 User Rank: Author
1/28/2015 | 10:31:41 PM
Advantage
It's interesting to me that, unlike many other major industries, software providers are not subject to ethical codes that bar them from selling to multiple competitors in a field because of conflicts of interest.

Maybe that's a good thing, allowing a more competitive playing field and freer market.  Nonetheless, the point about competitive advantage is well-taken.  At the very least, however, not using the tool may (or, admittedly, may not) put one at a disadvantage.
TerryB
50%
50%
TerryB,
 User Rank: Ninja
1/26/2015 | 2:10:03 PM
Re: IT Vendor Hype and "The Emperor's New Clothes"
Everyone has made this mistake, that's why finding a system that hasn't been hacked (or won't be shortly) is a rarity today. Business, with IT too clueless/gutless (pick one) to say no, wanted the pretty screens and customer convienence of things like online banking and POS shopping without any security baked into the tools they used to create them. And here we are, wondering who in Russia will be the next to steal our credit, or entire identity.
jagibbons
50%
50%
jagibbons,
 User Rank: Ninja
1/26/2015 | 12:16:25 PM
Re: IT Vendor Hype and "The Emperor's New Clothes"
I would venture a guess that any CXO that made the mistake of replacing the mainframe for the sole purpose of cost savings probably isn't a CXO at that same company anymore. Hopefully, as they've moved on, they've learned more and may not be quite a quick to repeat the same mistake again.
shamika
50%
50%
shamika,
 User Rank: Ninja
1/26/2015 | 1:45:32 AM
Re: Perfect example
In my experience, the gap arises since they overpromise. Sometimes they are not aware of their capacity.
shamika
50%
50%
shamika,
 User Rank: Ninja
1/26/2015 | 1:41:23 AM
Re: IT Vendor Hype and "The Emperor's New Clothes"
This is an interesting article. We experience the same issue when it comes to working with IT vendors. From my experience they are always late.
JimC
50%
50%
JimC,
 User Rank: Apprentice
1/25/2015 | 5:44:51 PM
IT Vendor Hype and "The Emperor's New Clothes"
Having entered the IT vendor world as a technician more than 30 years ago, I'll nominate the two worst cases of outrageous IT vendor hype that gullible buyers at the C-suite level fell for in my opinion: Dot-com and "replace the mainframe".  The latter is worse because it wasn't a case of bravely venturing into uncharted waters and hoping for the best.  CXOs would read an anti-mainframe article in an airline magazine that (s)he'd show to his/her CIO or VP of IT and demand strategic change for supposed cost savings.  Well, there certainly was change as seasoned IT executives with tech backgrounds defended the mainframe and were replaced by people who don't know a disk drive from a washing machine.  I'm no luddite, but change for the sake of it has generated plenty of buyer's remorse.  The problem is that no one in those messed up organizations can dare point out that they're now paying more to get less.  Those CXOs will never admit they were wrong.      
pfretty
50%
50%
pfretty,
 User Rank: Ninja
1/23/2015 | 3:14:12 PM
Perfect example
I have to say that big data is one of the biggest culprits in this space. Organizations understandably spotlight the huge wins, yet the reality is that most companies need to work diligently to build the knowledge base and buy-in needed to succeed. Likewise, its also important that organizations realize the importance of starting with small wins to build the confidence level before venturing too far into unknown territories that challenge the corporations. 

Peter Fretty, IDG blogger working on behalf of SAS


State of the Cloud
State of the Cloud
Cloud has drastically changed how IT organizations consume and deploy services in the digital age. This research report will delve into public, private and hybrid cloud adoption trends, with a special focus on infrastructure as a service and its role in the enterprise. Find out the challenges organizations are experiencing, and the technologies and strategies they are using to manage and mitigate those challenges today.
Download Now!
Editors' Choice
Commentary
What Becomes of CFOs During Digital Transformation?
Joao-Pierre S. Ruth, Senior Writer,  2/4/2020
News
Fighting the Coronavirus with Analytics and GIS
Jessica Davis, Senior Editor, Enterprise Apps,  2/3/2020
Slideshows
IT Careers: 10 Job Skills in High Demand This Year
Cynthia Harvey, Freelance Journalist, InformationWeek,  2/3/2020
Register for InformationWeek Newsletters
Video
Current Issue
IT Careers: Tech Drives Constant Change
Advances in information technology and management concepts mean that IT professionals must update their skill sets, even their career goals on an almost yearly basis. In this IT Trend Report, experts share advice on how IT pros can keep up with this every-changing job market. Read it today!
Download This Issue!
White Papers
Slideshows
Twitter Feed
Sponsored Live Streaming Video
Everything You've Been Told About Mobility Is Wrong
Attend this video symposium with Sean Wisdom, Global Director of Mobility Solutions, and learn about how you can harness powerful new products to mobilize your business potential.
Sponsored Video
Flash Poll