Category Archives: SIVA – Elements of Solution Marketing

Apple iPad: Tablet or Solution?

– By Steve Robins

The Apple iPad is a complete solution
iPad Series Part I

iPad is here

Read Part II, Apple iPad: Solution Evaluation

In recent weeks, you may have wondered about the anticipated success of the Apple iPad, similar to that of the iPhone and iPods that preceded it.  Yes, Apple builds powerful, well-designed and easy-to-use products.  And yes, despite Apple products’ frequently higher price, consumers have snapped up Apple Macs, iPods and iPhones at a rapid clip (over 75 million people use the iPhone and iTouch today).  At the same time, the media industry itself is all abuzz that Apple devices, especially the iPad, will finally provide a content platform that enables them to make money from their digital content.

Apple doesn’t create technology platforms alone:
Apple solves problems.

But all of this misses one critical point: users have problems to solve and Apple does a better job of solving their “problems” than most other PC or electronics companies (Do you agree?  Comment below!).   So what is this “problem”? As the computer experience has shifted from digital content creation (think spreadsheets and documents – which will always be important) to digital content consumption (music, Web, images, video), people want to be able to access content from anywhere – on the go, at the office, in the living room.  And thus far, Apple has solved the problem better than anyone else.

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The Apple iPad Solution

– By Steve Robins

Apple iPad: Game-Changer?  Device?  Solution?

The iPad Solution. Why all the fuss about the Apple iPad?  What makes it special?  Read on to better understand the potential success of the iPad.  Hint: the iPad is more than a device… it’s a solution.

The original post from April 4 has been split into two posts:

Part I, Apple iPad: Tablet or Solution

Part II, Apple iPad: Solution Evaluation

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The Solution Marketing Blog: One Year Later

– By Steve Robins

Celebrating a year of blogging on solution marketing

First, thank you to everyone that reads this blog day-in and day-out – it’s been a great ride since February 2009. Thanks also to everyone who expressed interest in solution marketing at Product Camp Boston #1 and #2, and on the LinkedIn group and elsewhere.  And thanks to those who’ve helped to make this a great blog.  As they say, the best is yet to come.

In celebration of this milestone, following is a solution marketing recap from the last twelve months.

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No Value, No Job

– By Steve Robins

SAP Sacks CEO For Failing to Deliver Customer Value

Sometimes the best solution marketing is about value.

It’s been one of the most interesting solution value stories of the last 18 months: ERP vendors’ exhorbitant support prices (at Oracle’s 90% margins) and SAP’s botched attempt to raise prices even further.  It’s pretty obvious that ERP vendor greed has further weakened customer relationships while opening the door to a new cadre of support vendors.

ERP vendors charge high maintenance and support prices that are essentially insurance policies that enable their clients to receive upgrades and support.  Problem is, many companies don’t need – and can’t afford – the broad and expensive maintenance and support provided by ERP vendors, so they’ve moved to competitive support firms like Rimini Street.

Yesterday’s sacking of SAP’s CEO is only the latest chapter in this tale.   Continue reading

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Blogger’s Paradise

– By Steve Robins

The Solution Marketer’s Guide to WordCamp Boston

WordCamp Boston 2010

A great resource for anyone interested in WordPress, blogging or social publishing

This past weekend, I attended the inaugural WordCamp Boston at the Microsoft NERD Center in Cambridge, MA.  WordCamp was a great opportunity to dig deeper into the WordPress platform that powers The Solution Marketing Blog.  The conference offered a special bonus as well: ten years after the Cluetrain Manifesto was first published, two of the authors, Doc Searls and David Weinberger, participated in a discussion with the Boston Globe’s Scott Kirsner.  The conference had an interesting mix of attendees – both technical consultants/developers and business bloggers.  As is the case for most xCamps (ProductCamp, CloudCamp, etc), the atmosphere and program was informal, collegial and educational.

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