SMART Enterprise 2001
Welcome to the SMART Enterprise conference.
Last year we saw the highest of highs. Now, particularly after September 11th, we are going through the worst times that many of us can remember. It has certainly been turbulent times, both on a personal and professional basis. That sad, sad day in September will be etched in our memory forever.
Although the economic environment will be tougher in the months ahead, we need to begin moving forward. The sky is not falling. The Enterprise software industry still has a market capitalization of over 500 billion dollars. It is here to stay. Where is the industry headed? What does this all mean? I believe that more than ever being together in business and in personal life is even more critical. All of you exemplify this by being here at the first annual SMART Enterprise conference.
In these idyllic surroundings we will get some time to reflect and, more importantly we will also be looking ahead. What are the lessons learned and what does the future holds for us in the Enterprise space? First of all, we need to benchmark our organizations to find out where we stand. Second, we should review and debate many practical things, like “How do we sell”, how to “Re-position our companies” and “How to implement new business and revenue models”. Finally, we should listen to several perspectives on the future of the Enterprise software market.
We have a great set of keynote speakers for the conference. We have put a lot of effort into assembling speakers and panelists to discuss the challenges facing sales and marketing executives. We have also created a customer-focused session where we will hear from a panel of prominent CIO’s. And we have provided ample time for networking and fun. We can surely use it this year!
We are grateful to our advisors – Pat Quirk, Peter Sobiloff, Chris Roon and Bob Wright – for their valuable input into this event.
Finally, we want to thank our sponsors – AMR Research, The Horn Group and Siebel Systems without whom we could not hold such an event.
Once again, welcome to the SMART Enterprise conference.
MR Rangaswami
Sand Hill Group
