Introduction

Welcome to the Software Strategies Web Site. For new visitors, we are a highly focused IT research and analysis firm specialising in enterprise IT e-Infrastructure strategies, technologies, economics and directions. Since 1997, our unique blend of research, publications, news and analysis, in-depth events, and consulting services have been highly rated, and are regarded as authoritative.

We have served dozens of leading enterprise vendors (see Vendor Partners for examples), and hundreds of enterprise users (see Enterprise IT Users for partial list).

United Kingdom-based, our services are used across the UK and Europe; we also work globally with several technology- leading vendors. We are best known for our extensive analysis and research on Windows NT, Windows 2000 and the Microsoft software platform, which remains a core focus. We also cover other key operating systems, and their server hardware, middle-ware infrastructure software, storage systems and system architectures. These areas together comprise today's core enterprise e-Infrastructure platform. Making informed choices about such platforms are critically important decisions for all enterprise IT groups, and our mission is to provide powerful help and guidance for these.

Our Directors bring decades of technology company executive experience, and extensive analysis and consulting track records, to provide effective and practical value to our customer services. Our customers tell us our services are uniquely valuable because:

• We remain focused or our core research/analysis domain of enterprise e-Infrastructures.
• We provide real depth, high-quality and authoritative materials, events & services.
• We cover the hottest and most critical issues, and questions of widest interest at the right time.
• We bring together the leading infrastructure vendors, our analysts and our enterprise user subscribers, to share knowledge and experience, without the usual marketing hype.
  
• Our services, many delivered electronically, are easily accessible, highly cost effective and great value.
  

These differentiating features give us a perspective, depth of knowledge and value that the large "supermarket" analyst firms, with their mostly young staff, cannot equal.

Research/Analysis Coverage

Enterprise e-Infrastructure
The Internet and e-business have fuelled a large wave of investment in IT e-infrastructures. Software Strategies focuses its research and services exclusively on this key area, and on the key vendor solutions within it, as depicted in Chart 1 opposite.

We cover the principal elements of enterprise e-Infrastructures and architectures, including:

• Operating systems, with a special focus on Windows 2000/2002
• Server hardware platforms, with a special focus on Intel Architecture-based systems
• Middleware software
• Storage systems, networks and software
• Applications enabling technologies and architectures
• Standards, interfaces
• e-Infrastructure management services and solutions
• Services and support for the above
• Chart 1 Software Strategies Research Domain

We built our reputation from our extensive work on the Microsoft software platform, Windows 2000, Intel Architecture servers, and related platform topics through our directors' leadership of the Enterprise NT Management Forum industry consortium from 1998-2000.

We retain this focus on the new generation of Intel-architecture, "industry standard" based e-Infrastructure, including Microsoft software, operating and middleware software, open enterprise storage, systems management, and industry standard IP networking, because these technologies are so important, and have undergone such rapid growth & development. We also view and evaluate these alongside the main other alternatives. Click here for details of our Research.

Broadly, Software Strategies research, events and services are geared to:

• Supporting senior and mid level enterprise IT management and executives.
• A strategic assessment, positioning, broad capabilities, strengths and weaknesses.
• Providing objective high level information about performance, reliability, capacity, price/performance and TCO wherever possible.
• Offering clear, independent guidance on the economics and costs of the options covered.
• Summarising and highlighting field and customer experience, technology uptake and new developments concisely.
• Helping our user customers define and refine their architectures, plans and e-infrastructure strategies.
• Assisting our vendor partners articulate and communicate their messages and solutions, and providing them with accurate feedback and opportunities.

We do not provide fine feature/function technical detail, or the type of "how to operate" instructions widely available from other technically targeted services or training firms.

Our news coverage services are selective, summarised, evaluated, and interpreted, with the emphasis on value and conciseness for busy senior IT executives, rather than providing mere volume and instant currency. The latter needs are well served by existing pure news media already. Our tight focus enables services and deliverables of real depth and authority to be provided within our research domain.

Software Strategies brings a level of practical market and technology experience, depth of knowledge and real world-experience to our customer services few other analysis firms can now provide. Our principals' extensive vendor-side experience also enables us to contribute particularly strongly to vendor marketing programmes.

Enterprise IT Users
Our user services are principally targeted to support those middle and senior level IT and business managers in "enterprise IT" user organisations. in all private sector, public sector and government industry and market segment concerned with critical e-Infrastructure decisions and investment, plans and strategies. Many hundreds of leading enterprise IT users, see below, have used our services. Our services are specifically geared to help user firms assess and select winning technology strategies, platforms, products and services safely and economically. See User Customer References below for examples.

Enterprise e-Infrastructure Vendors
Leading enterprise e-Infrastructure vendors also play a central part in our services, both as customers, and through supporting our coverage of their strategies, products and services, which enables us to provide accurate guidance to our user and press members on their offerings. Also, leading vendors participate directly in, and help sponsor, our events and research projects and news publications, in order that our enterprise user members may benefit from their experts, knowledge and experience. For our vendor partners, the opportunity to reach, meet and influence our large and influential user base is also a valuable marketing channel for them. See Vendor Services Engagements for examples.

Press and Media
We also support business and technology media and their journalists with information, quotes, our research, events and information, because these channels are an important influence for enterprise IT users, are a valuable channels of exposure for enterprise vendors, and, of course, to promote Software Strategies itself. See In The News for examples of media quotations using our expertise

Our research and analysis includes close monitoring of enterprise user issues, challenges, successes, needs and deployment experience. We frequently talk to our enterprise user base in person at our events, via electronic communications and through periodic surveys. Case studies are a popular form of shared experience, which we encourage our user base to bring forward to our events and publications.

See Software Strategies Research for more details of our research programme.

See Past Event Profiles for details of selected previous Software Strategies events.

Vendor Partners
Software Strategies vendor partners include many of the leading e-Infrastructure technology vendors, who have sponsored Software Strategies Focus events and conferences, or commissioned our vendor services and research. Representative key vendors partners have included:

Software Strategies research and analysis work includes close monitoring of news, developments, technologies, strategies, products and services from these partners, and other leading e-Infrastructure vendors. We attend their analyst briefings and conferences, meet and interview key executives, attend selected customer events and review key vendor publications, to develop and publish our research output, and to prepare our Focus event presentations.

See Software Strategies Research for more details of our research programme.

See Vendor Services Engagements for more details of selected vendor partners.

See Past Event Profiles for details of previous Software Strategies events.

See Vendor Engagement Profiles for example profiles of specific Software Strategies vendor service projects.

Software Strategies is growing fast, as more customers experience our services. We operates on a virtual basis, and are always interested in establishing relationships with qualified and experienced independent specialists in the following disciplines/skill areas, for our future needs:

• e-Infrastructure Analysts - In-depth research and analysis experience within our domain of e-Infrastructure, excellent communications skills, and flexibility to meet variable project needs are the essential qualifications. We are especially interested in freelance analysts with expertise in: enterprise storage, Linux, enterprise systems management and security. Such analysts with strong public presentation and event chairing skills would be of great interest for our Events and Research Programmes. Ref:EIA
• Technology Writers - Experienced freelance technology journalists, researchers and writers interested in contributing to our program of research publications, including newsletters, white papers and reports in the areas listed in our Research/Analysis Domain above. Ref:TW
• Event Organiser - Experienced freelances IT industry marketing event organiser with wide experience of detailed event management and execution, to assist with our extensive Focus events program. August 2001 on. Ref:EO
• Financial Administrator - Experienced freelance administrator with skills to handle invoicing, collections, payments, etc. Ref:FA

All roles above are freelance-, project- or function-based, driven by our requirements. They can be carried out mainly from your own base or home off-site. Candidates therefore need to be self-directing, PC-equipped, Internet-connected, and have e-mail, phone, and fax facilities for electronic team working, with transport for UK travel in some roles. We are based in Herts/Bucks, United Kingdom, and occasional planning meetings in this area will be needed, but most communications will be electronic/telephone. If you are interested in any of these roles, click Contact Us, or send an e-mail to opportunities@software-strategies.net with your CV.