jeff nolan

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Your next software buying decision: zero cost?

My piece about SugarCRM contains a line from Vinnie Mirchandani that's been ringing in my ears: "They're tiny." What's tiny about: Free edition 400,000 users 50,000 systems Commercial customers 100,000 users 5,000...

Tags: Software, Open Source, Margin, OSS, Jeff Nolan, Tools & Techniques, Management, Dennis Howlett

Blog posts 2009-05-01

Teqlo's journey into the do-it-yourself Web

Ive always been intrigued by claims of programming for non-programmers--no coding skills required or perhaps just a little knowledge of simple scripting to bake a relatively sophisticated application. Jeff Nolan, who recently left ERP giant SAP, is chasing that do-it-yourself application building dream as CEO of an early stage startup,...

Tags: Teqlo, IT Management, General, Software Infrastructure, Web Technology

Blog posts 2006-11-27

The invasion of Enterprise 2.0 software

Blogger and stock analyst Paul Kedrosky introduced the topic of Enterprise 2.0 at a morning workshop at the Web 2.0 Summit by trying not to define the concept, calling the definitional discussion a masturbatory exercise. Nonetheless, he offered Harvard Business School Associate Professor Andrew McAfees definition as a starting point:Enterprise...

Tags: Enterprise 2.0, Enterprise, Web 2.0

Blog posts 2006-11-07

Wither Oracle, SAP, et al? (Pt 1)

Er, Phil, shouldn't there be an 'h' in whither, as in 'where are they going'? Or did you really mean 'wither', as in 'shrivel away and die'? The answer is both, really. I've been mulling over the contents of several quite interesting articles,In my view, Ellison is making the...

Tags: Oracle Corp., SAP AG

Blog posts 2006-04-21

Additional Resources

Future ERP

Brian Sommer's provocative post that juxtaposes SAP's technology thinking around the 'old' and 'new' worlds provides insights into something SAP was talking about last year - the two speed world of ERP. At the back end there is still plenty to do, hardening applications, winkling out recurring bugs...

Tags: Innovation, Salesforce.com Inc., Financial, SAP AG, ERP, Brian Sommer, Brian, S-curve, Cloud Infrastructure, BRP, Cloud Computing, Virtualization, Enterprise Software, Hardware, Software, Dennis Howlett

Blog posts 2009-10-19

Hasso Plattner Demos Agile Columnar Database Concepts

The enterprise world of SAP isn't just structured data: it's the fundamental infrastructure of countless international businesses. In business you follow the money to understand deal flow, and automating the planning and tracking of financial transactions from end to end...

Tags: SAP AG, Corporate Communications, Corporate Governance, Storage, Mainframes, Internet, Databases, Servers, Marketing, Business Operations, Corporate Law, Hardware, Enterprise Software, Software, Data Management, Oliver Marks

Blog posts 2009-08-23

SAP's Schwarz & Sikka: The Road to More Agile Business Performance

Last week I had the opportunity to spend time with SAP CTO Vishal Sikka and separately SAP executive board member John Schwarz, and I've been ruminating on our conversations a lot since those meetings. Fortunately I was part of a group of bloggers who have been following SAP closely, and...

Tags: Performance, SAP AG, Financial Planning, Change Management, Performance Management, Strategy, Finance, Tools & Techniques, Management, Human Resources, Workforce Management, Oliver Marks

Blog posts 2009-07-31

SAP unplugged: Vishal Sikka and John Schwarz on deck

Jeff Nolan and Vinnie Mirchandani have done a sterling job in reporting our meeting Vishal Sikka, SAP's CTO and John Schwarz, executive board member in charge of BusinessObjects. To my eternal shame, I was asleep for most of the meeting with Vishal having completely miscalculated the effects of jetlag, turning...

Tags: SAP AG, Leadership, Financial Planning, Management, Finance, Dennis Howlett

Blog posts 2009-07-27

News to know: Yahoo's home page; Barnes & Noble; Microsoft's Linux Code; 3G iPod Touch

Here are today's notable headlines. You can get News To Know via email alert and RSS daily. For continuous updates see BNET's around-the-Web tech coverage. Sam Diaz: Yahoo's new home page: Spending more time in your world Larry Dignan: Barnes & Noble partners with...

Tags: Apple iPod, Yahoo! Inc., Microsoft Corp., Apple iPod Touch, Barnes & Noble Inc., Linux, 3G, UNIX, Operating Systems, Digital Rights Management (DRM), Open Source, Wireless And Mobility, Software, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Security, Larry Dignan

Blog posts 2009-07-21

Climate change driven IT spend: are we being hoodwinked?

One of the great things about being an Irregular is that every now and again, one of our motley band will toss a pebble into a pond which sends ripples. Last weekend Jeff Nolan, one of our founders and a great personal friend said this: ...

Tags: Information Technology, Carbon Dioxide, Climate, Argument, Tom, Dennis Howlett

Blog posts 2009-06-08

Startup essentials: Dr. Pepper, coffee and accessories

One of my Irregular chums started a GoogleGroup thread about what you need in a job that requires you work from a home office. The same can be said for the 1-3 person startup. The conversation immediately became a discussion of the merits or otherwise of different coffee making facilities...

Tags: Dr., Beverage, Accessory, Food & Beverage, Manufacturing, Dennis Howlett

Blog posts 2008-09-26

The economics of online advertising affects online software publishers

There are many startups that hope to support themselves and their services through online advertising, through clicks and pageviews, in the same way as media companies. About three years ago, when Jeff Nolan was working as a venture capitalist at the enterprise software giant SAP, he told me that...

Tags: Software, Media Company, Software Company, Online Advertising, Advertising & Promotion, Tools & Techniques, Marketing, Management, Tom Foremski

Blog posts 2008-09-09

Where are the expense management startups and Dirty SaaS?

My Irregular chums have been fiercely debating the need and merit of a sensible expense management solution that combines the best of online purchasing with accounting and the ability to re-bill (where appropriate.) It all started when there was a discussion around Concur and Rearden Commerce...

Tags: Software-as-a-service, Receipt, Microsoft Corp., Zoli Erdos, Vinnie, MDI, Microsoft Excel, Software As A Service (SaaS), Microsoft Office, Office Suites, Software, Emerging Technologies, Dennis Howlett

Blog posts 2008-08-04

Powerset's smarts are Microsoft's gain

Larry Dignan pours lukewarm water on Microsoft's acquisition of Powerset. Talking about Google's near monopoly in the search market, Larry says: Microsoft can reinvent search, but it’s still running up a natural Google monopoly. The analogy here is Windows: Microsoft didn’t have the best operating system on the planet....

Tags: Google Inc., Microsoft Corp., Powerset, Wiki, Document Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Speech Recognition, Channel Management, Search, Enterprise Software, Online Communications, Software, Finance, Managerial Accounting, Investment, Emerging Technologies, Marketing, Dennis Howlett

Blog posts 2008-07-01

Yo-yo'ing on Millennials

Larry Dignan's post earlier in the week asking whether Millennials will re-invent IT struck a chord with a few of my Irregular friends. First up, Larry's conclusion: I remember this generational stereotyping with the Generation X crowd. Job market stunk. Generation X was differentâ€"they were pissed. They were wearing...

Tags: Information Technology, Generation, Millennials, Hindsight, Ross Mayfield, Susan Scrupski, Strategy, Management, Dennis Howlett

Blog posts 2008-06-20

IT failure haiku poems

The intellectual capabilities and knowledge of the Enterprise Irregulars are highly regarded in the enterprise software world. Less widely known, however, is the true poetic talent of these fine folks. I'm therefore pleased to present IT failure haikus written by Jeff Nolan and Anshu Sharma, two...

Tags: Poem, Information Technology, Haiku, Michael Krigsman

Blog posts 2008-06-06

Run by Wall Street? A Cause or a Company?

Guest post: Anshu Sharma is author of Anshu's blog, which focuses on Software as a Service and the emerging SaaS Ecosystem. He is an Enterprise Irregular. In light of the Yahoo! - Microsoft fiasco, fellow bloggers Larry Dignan and Vinnie Mirchandani have been asking the question whether...

Tags: Shareholder, Yahoo! Inc., Vision, Wall, Management Team, Software As A Service (SaaS), Financial Accounting, Construction, Strategy, Emerging Technologies, Finance, Management, Anshu Sharma

Blog posts 2008-05-16

Comcast scoops up Plaxo: good move

In a move that surprises few people, Plaxo is being acquired. The surprise - at least for some - is that it is Comcast and not one of the usual suspects of Facebook or Google. Comcast is Plaxo's biggest partner and provides hosting for all Comcast email subscriber address books....

Tags: Plaxo Inc., Comcast Corp., Advertising & Promotion, E-mail, Marketing, Online Communications, Dennis Howlett

Blog posts 2008-05-14

HP's to-do list following EDS acquisition

We now know that HP is acquiring EDS in what appears to be an agreed bid that values EDS at $13.9 billion. Larry Dignan has the main analysis but it leaves open a series of testing questions for HP CEO Mark Hurd. As Larry points out: Overall, Wall Street...

Tags: Acquisition, Hewlett-Packard Co., Mark Hurd, Electronic Data Systems Corp., Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Mergers & Acquisitions, Outsourcing, Corporate Law, Asset Management, Construction, It Services, It Operations, Investment, Finance, Business Operations, Outsourcing & Subcontracting, Operational Planning, Dennis Howlett

Blog posts 2008-05-13

Where's the next new thing in Silicon Valley?

Excellent article by Jeff Nolan, an ex-VC, writing in SandHill.com on venture capital investments and locating the next big thing. Incrementalism and “The New New Thing” - With all the venture capital moving around in the Silicon Valley, where is the real innovation? He makes many good points...

Tags: Silicon Valley, Innovation, Web, Venture Capital, Web 2.0, Leadership, Investment, Strategy, Finance, Financing Startups, Internet, Management, Tom Foremski

Blog posts 2008-04-28