Enterprise Software

Enterprise software is sold to businesses, and not to consumers.

Great enterprise software products have these characteristics.
- Easy to use.
  - Many companies fail to perform interaction design, visual design, or useability testing.
    - Even when the application produces business results, users do not like the product.
- Product actually works.
  - A product that does not work is worse than poor product useability.
  - It is essential for a product manager to make sure the product does what it says it will.
    - Software quality assurance is vitally important.
- Are not special or custom products.
  - Custom software is not a generally useful product.
    - Only one customer may be happy, but others may not.
- Designed for the sales channel.
  - Provide value all along the distribution chain.
    - Systems integrators need to make a profit.
    - Value-added resellers cannot be overwhelmed with time-consuming technical requirements.
- Must meet the needs of the buyer and the end user.
  - The buyer of the product has needs and requirements.
  - Often the users of the product have different needs and requirements.
- Easy product installation, configuration, and integration.
  - An enormous professional services industry has emerged to get enterprise software products to actually work, and further, to work with each other.
    - Cost is high, mostly due to poor product design and execution.
- Easy product update.
  - Problems upgrading, or requiring complex data migration is extremely frustrating to the customer.
- Good product information.
  - The Internet has changed the product research and evaluation process.
    - Vendors need to support this new sales process.
    - Product selection no longer depends soley on the relationship between sales people and the customer.

Enterprise Software

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