Now playing, the “Less Attractive” Players

So if the previous post contains arguments FOR the last of the independents making their case successfully to customers vs. the SAP’s Oracle’s, and Business Objects of the world (okay, maybe Cognos too, fine, whatever), there’s lots of cases against them—let’s list some here.

Lay-Ups
· Don’t you think someone would have bought them if they had such great technology?
· There’s a reason we bought their competitor
· Performance Management is more than just , it’s really about and you, Mr. customer, need to be thinking here

18 footers just inside the arc
· Will the small vendor survive—can they survive?
· Big vendor customer base vs. small vendor customer base—where does the customer feel safer, with whom do they associate most?
· Technology—is the small vendor on old or outdated/legacy technology (um, yes if you’re Longview—kidding Longview readers!)

Heaves at the buzzer
· Dis their financials (can I still say “dis” as a white man?), growth, profitability
· Point out they are trying to sell themselves 24/7
· Position their technology outside of the mainstream of performance management

So what are some others?