Nice Description of the Enterprise Software Purchasing Process

Yep, sounds familiar. Let me tell you 2 stories. There was a time when sun, in Portugal, had zero presence (about 15 years ago). Almost 100% of the RFP’s we got were from big companies (Banks and Government) that already had decided the deal should go to this or that seller and, they consulted us (the Sun resellers) because we were easly discarded. that way, they could get theyre 3 proposals and issue the deal to the “approved” guy (We started groing when Sun’s solution was so much better than anyone else that, they started giving us a chance). The thing still continues but, now we’re not easly discarted anymore. Also, we (the same Sun resellers) were the first to sell appliances to our customers. I think the first was a small hardware FW, ideal for branch offices to encript and monitor trafic to the head offices. We almost droped the thing, Everyone was expecting us to customise the darn thing but, customisation wasn’t even possible with that thing (an appliance, see it like a toaster). Some deals are lost because the competition makes a better job, other deals are lost because they were lost in the first place. Bill Gates, came to a meeting in Portugal with the Portuguese President, care to wonder why?