Comments on: Brand Platform or just platform reality http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/07/19/brand-platform-or-just-platform-reality/ Jeff Nolan's take on investment, innovation, entrepreneurship and the technology industry Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:44:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anshu Sharma http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/07/19/brand-platform-or-just-platform-reality/comment-page-1/#comment-11696 Anshu Sharma Thu, 20 Jul 2006 19:08:12 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/07/19/brand-platform-or-just-platform-reality/#comment-11696 Yes, the technology platforms are not the ultimate differentiator. In a Service-oriented world, I (as a customer) care only about the service- does it provide the functionality? will it be up when I need it? how much will it cost? etc. Only the service provider needs to worry about how to implement this service using J2EE/.Net/NetWeaver/Fusion-Middleware. And those people do care- it makes their life easier if the platform is well integrated, standards-based, easy to use and deploy etc. However, the decision to buy an application (or service) is much more influenced by "Can I send Shipment Notifications after reading the RFID tags and make sure my supply chain is automated?; Can I get a report of the last 10 lost shipments? Can I cancel a PO? Can I cancel a PO at a line-item basis?" etc. All functional requirements. Think of it this way platform wars are like wood vs concrete. Large parts of the world use steel and concrete to build houses while many others swear by wood. And there are pros and cons. But very few people by houses based on the 'platform'- its other things- locations, design, ease-of-living etc that determine the popularity of a design (house/applications/service). I agree with Jeff therefore- the platform is dead, long live the platform! Note: The platform does matter to a lot of people- the plumbers, carpenters, etc who build houses. Similarly, many in IT are very much interested in PHP vs Java but the house owners/designers care much less about this. In fact, the trend over the last 50 years is people buy pre-built houses (SOA in housing) rather than build their own. This means the platform decisions are delegated to house builders (Google, SAP, Oracle, Accenture, etc.) of the world. Yes, the technology platforms are not the ultimate differentiator. In a Service-oriented world, I (as a customer) care only about the service- does it provide the functionality? will it be up when I need it? how much will it cost? etc.

Only the service provider needs to worry about how to implement this service using J2EE/.Net/NetWeaver/Fusion-Middleware. And those people do care- it makes their life easier if the platform is well integrated, standards-based, easy to use and deploy etc. However, the decision to buy an application (or service) is much more influenced by “Can I send Shipment Notifications after reading the RFID tags and make sure my supply chain is automated?; Can I get a report of the last 10 lost shipments? Can I cancel a PO? Can I cancel a PO at a line-item basis?” etc. All functional requirements.

Think of it this way platform wars are like wood vs concrete. Large parts of the world use steel and concrete to build houses while many others swear by wood. And there are pros and cons. But very few people by houses based on the ‘platform’- its other things- locations, design, ease-of-living etc that determine the popularity of a design (house/applications/service).

I agree with Jeff therefore- the platform is dead, long live the platform!

Note: The platform does matter to a lot of people- the plumbers, carpenters, etc who build houses. Similarly, many in IT are very much interested in PHP vs Java but the house owners/designers care much less about this. In fact, the trend over the last 50 years is people buy pre-built houses (SOA in housing) rather than build their own. This means the platform decisions are delegated to house builders (Google, SAP, Oracle, Accenture, etc.) of the world.

]]> By: Dennis Howlett http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/07/19/brand-platform-or-just-platform-reality/comment-page-1/#comment-11371 Dennis Howlett Wed, 19 Jul 2006 23:38:33 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/07/19/brand-platform-or-just-platform-reality/#comment-11371 I cannot believe you're serious about this Jeff. Yes - brand matters. But...it represents a promise. This sounds like mid-90s SAP thinking: "We're the Daddy and we'll dem the product when we're good and ready. You Mr Customer don't matter. Only our brand." It's reminiscent of the thinking that very nearly lost SAP the Bosch account in the late 90s and only some nifty footwork by Hasso prevented the supply chain deal going to i2 at the time. I shared a cab with the then very angry Bosch CTO. "I don't believe technology platforms are really a competitive differentiator." ooh - - sounds like Nick Carr's IT doesn't matter argument to me. That'll go down well with the NetWeaver people. Do you honestly think enterprise buyers will buy that? If they do, then they're in for a nasty surprise. I cannot believe you’re serious about this Jeff. Yes – brand matters. But…it represents a promise. This sounds like mid-90s SAP thinking: “We’re the Daddy and we’ll dem the product when we’re good and ready. You Mr Customer don’t matter. Only our brand.”

It’s reminiscent of the thinking that very nearly lost SAP the Bosch account in the late 90s and only some nifty footwork by Hasso prevented the supply chain deal going to i2 at the time. I shared a cab with the then very angry Bosch CTO.

“I don’t believe technology platforms are really a competitive differentiator.” ooh – - sounds like Nick Carr’s IT doesn’t matter argument to me. That’ll go down well with the NetWeaver people.

Do you honestly think enterprise buyers will buy that? If they do, then they’re in for a nasty surprise.

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