Tag Archives: Support

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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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SAP Customers Demand Value for Enterprise Support

By: Steve Robins

This is an update to the earlier post, Oracle, SAP and the Value of Maintenance & Support Contracts:

VALUE is a core element of the SIVA solution marketing model.  Not surprisingly, the most important element in pricing a solution is the solution’s VALUE as perceived by customers.  That lesson proved embarrassing for SAP this week as they were forced to slow down a planed support price increase until they could demonstrate its value.      Continue reading →

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