Mr. Michael Schiff

GLG News by Mr. Michael Schiff, Founder and Principal Analyst

GLG News is now G+ Insights

G+ is a community for professionals, academics and entrepreneurs to connect through online discussions and in-person meetings. You will continue to see G+ Insights (formerly GLG News) here as well as on the G+ website, where you can share and discuss the G+ Insights you read.

The Industry Impact of IBM's Pending Netezza Acquisition

September 23, 2010

Analysis of:IBM to Acquire Netezza | www-03.ibm.com

o Netezza is a logical acquisition target for IBM.o Netezza's appliances utilize IBM hardware components and Netezza has partnerships with IBM for several of its software products. o Many of Netezza's strong business intelligence and data integration partners also compete with IBM. Some of these partnerships may be at risk.o With IBM's resources and backing, other data warehouse appliance vendors will now find Netezza an even stronger competitor.

SAP Will Acquire Database and Mobile Software Vendor Sybase

May 17, 2010

Analysis of:SAP to Acquire Sybase, Inc. | www.sap.com

o SAP's pending acquisition of Sybase provides SAP with strong mobile and database software technology.o The acquisition will have a negative effect on Oracle whose database currently supports the plurality of SAP implementations. o The acquisition will strain SAP's relationship with database vendor partners including Microsoft and IBM.o In general, it makes SAP a stronger software vendor and continues the company's product evolution.

Sales of New PCs will Fuel Intel's Continued Growth

January 22, 2010

Analysis of:Intel Stuns Wall Street With Nine-fold Increase In Profits | www.itproportal.com

o The October 2009 release of Microsoft Windows 7 will drive PC growth. o The majority of PCs are powered by Intel processors. o Intel will almost certainly benefit from the pent-up demand for both business PC refreshments and home computer demands.

IBM's Acquisition of Guardium Augments its Information Management Portfolio

December 10, 2009

Analysis of:IBM buys database security firm Guardium | www.reuters.com

o With its acquisition of Guardium, IBM obtains augments its already strong information management technology portfolio. o Guardium's technology is used for protection and real-time monitoring of database access; it is useful for security and compliance purposes.o The acquisition provides further evidence of the on-going industry consolidation as well as IBM's willingness to acquire companies in order to obtain technology that complements its own information management capabilities.

Oracle's Acquisitions Continue to Roll On

October 8, 2009

Analysis of:Oracle To Acquire HyperRoll | www.informationweek.com

o Oracle's acquisition of HyperRoll provides it with innovative technology that complements its Hyperion business intelligence offerings as well as the Oracle Database.o It increases the competitive appeal of Oracle's BI offerings in several markets including the installed base of some of its competitors. o It provides further evidence of Oracle's willingness to acquire niche technology that adds new functionality and/or improves the performance of its current offerings.

IBM To Acquire SPSS and its Data Mining Capabilities

July 28, 2009

Analysis of:IBM Buys A Profitable Prophet | www.forbes.com

o IBM and SPSS are certainly not strangers and IBM's pending acquisition of SPSS will further enhance IBM's analytic capabilities.o SPSS has an OEM agreement with IBM Cognos' rival SAP BusinessObjects for the data mining component of the BusinessObjects XI platform. This partnership will likely now be tested.o The software industry continues to consolidate as giants acquire complementary technology. This trend will likely accelerate as the economy recovers.

Microsoft - One Disappointing Quarter is Not a Disaster

July 28, 2009

Analysis of:Update: Microsoft Revenue Declines 17% in Fiscal Q4 | www.computerworld.com

o Microsoft's earnings disappointment was influenced by product release dates, in particular the Windows 7 operating system.o The pending release of Windows 7 caused the many PC and associated software sales to be delayed. o The home market will quickly respond once Windows 7 starts shipping with new PCs; businesses will remain cautious until PC software applications have proved to be compatible and Windows 7 tested in pilot implementations.

Cloud Computing: Providing Both Hardware and Software On-Demand Services

June 2, 2009

Analysis of:McKinsey Cloud Computing Report Conclusions Don't Add Up | www.cio.com

o Cloud computing can encompasses both hardware and software services. o Cloud computing is not a passing fad, nor is it a new concept. o Cloud computing can benefit organizations both large and small.

Oracle (ORCL) Expanding its Software-as-a-Service Presence

May 4, 2009

Analysis of:Oracle to expand Web-based software offerings-source | www.reuters.com

o  Oracle is no stranger to on-demand computing but has, with a few exceptions, focused its efforts on providing a database and middleware platform upon which third party software vendors could build on-demand applications. o  Oracle's pending acquisition of Sun Microsystems will allow Oracle to greatly expand its cloud computing capabilities. o Oracle's new on-demand software will allow it to better compete against pureplay SaaS vendors such as Salesforce.com while also countering efforts of SAP and its BusinessByDesign SMB-focused SaaS initiative. o Oracle is hedging its bets and positioning itself in both the on-premise and on-demand world.

Dell: A Strong Turnaround May Depend On Microsoft

March 9, 2009

Analysis of:Dell's identity crisis | money.cnn.com

o Dell does not necessarily need to reinvent itself as the real issues behind stagnating sales are the economy and Microsoft's software. o While PCs may be a fashion accessory for teenagers, business users seek performance and functionality. o Business users have been less than enthusiastic in embracing Microsoft Vista. o Pent-up demand is for new desktops, laptops, and netbooks is building and Dell should see an increase in sales once Windows 7 is released.

Apple: Playing a More Open Tune at its iTunes Store

January 12, 2009

Analysis of:Apple Changes Tune on Music Pricing | online.wsj.com

o Apple's new three-tiered pricing structure will enable it to more effectively market its music based on consumer demand. o The elimination of its digital rights copy protection will facilitate the ability of users with non-Apple music players to use iTune Store music. o  In the long-run Apple's iTune Store revenues should increase, even if the elimination of digital rights copy protection leads to some additional fraudulent behavior.

Software Maintenance - A Necessary Expense for Enterprise Software

November 24, 2008

Analysis of:Enterprise Software Vendors Now Vulnerable to Maintenance Payment Reduction | seekingalpha.com

o The current economic conditions are causing organizations to take cost cutting measures such as deferring capital expenditures and reducing IT costs. o While companies will be looking for ways to reduce IT costs, eliminating maintenance on mission-critical enterprise applications is not a realistic option. o Organizations can try to renegotiate maintenance costs and attempt to get their software vendors to make other cost concessions. However, eliminating maintenance on mission-critical applications is a tactic that is "penny-wise and pound-foolish." o Software acquisitions should be evaluated relative to their total cost-of-ownership and software maintenance must be included in the equation.

Microsoft Azure: A Cloudy, But Blue, Sky Ahead?

November 4, 2008

Analysis of:Azure: Can Microsoft Meld Windows with the Web? | www.businessweek.com

o Recognizing the potential of off-premises hosted computing, Microsoft is moving to establish its place in the cloud. o Despite any drawbacks, the desktop landscape is still dominated by Microsoft Windows; Azure will allow Microsoft to leverage the pervasiveness of Windows to integrate its desktop strength with cloud computing. o While Microsoft is usually not the first vendor to enter an emerging market, once it is convinced of the market's potential, it will attempt to establish a leadership position. o The pervasiveness of its Windows platforms and developers' familiarity with Microsoft Visual Study and Microsoft .NET will should provide Microsoft with an advantage over competitive cloud initiatives.  

SAP: Would Acquiring Teradata Make Sense?

September 18, 2008

Analysis of:SAP: Are Thy Planning A Bid for Teradata? | blogs.barrons.com

o  Although rumors are flying about the possible acquisition of Teradata by SAP, the fit is far from perfect. o  SAP executives have stated the need for advanced analytics and there are other vendors that SAP could acquire to fulfill this need. o  SAP might consider acquiring a data mining vendor in order to augment its advanced analytic capabilities; SPSS would seem to be a likely candidate.

Microsoft (MSFT) to Acquire Datallegro

August 11, 2008

Analysis of:Microsoft To Buy DATAllegro | www.informationweek.com

- Microsoft's pending acquisition of Datallegro should allow Microsoft to better compete in very large database environments.  - As Microsoft will stop selling Datallegro's data warehouse appliances to new customer until they are integrated with Microsoft SQL Server, it may take a while to see any results.   - Microsoft's acquisition of Datallegro will likely lead to additional vendor consolidations. - Data warehouse appliances have a solid track record in very large data mart environments; they may not necessarily be ideal in mixed workload, multi-subject, enterprise data warehouse deployments.

Making Applications Easier to Use Will Increase Their Usage

June 13, 2008

Analysis of:Enterprise 2.0: Oracle Plans New Business Apps, With A Social Twist | www.informationweek.com

Making applications easier to use will help increase the breadth and depth of their deployment within an organization.  Applications that allow user collaboration are also likely to see increased usage, especially in organizations that encourage interdepartmental cooperation rather than departmental rivalries.  In many situations, especially among nontechnical users, an application is judged by its user-interface.  Users who have positive experiences with the social networking features of new applications will become evangelists for these applications.

Teradata - New Platforms for Competing Against Data Warehouse Applicances

May 6, 2008

Analysis of:Teradata Unveils Entry to Enterprise-Level Data Warehouse Appliance | www.informationweek.com

o While Teradata has been slow to acknowledge that data warehouse appliances were more than a niche market, Teradata may actually have been the original data warehouse appliance vendor. o Data warehouse appliances do not necessarily replace traditional data warehouses; rather they complement them and should be considered as a possible component of an organization's overall data warehouse architecture.  o Teradata is being squeezed at the top end by traditional database competitors such as Oracle; it is being squeezed at the low end by data warehouse appliance vendors such as Netezza.

Spyware Problems - Users Are Only Partially To Blame

February 26, 2008

Analysis of:Spyware forum: Computer users often to blame for problems | www.computerworld.com

● In a perfect world all users would immediately install any patches or upgrades that would enhance the security of their systems.  ● However, many users, especially in home or home office environments, are reluctant to change something that seems to work.  ● Of course, in a perfect world software patches and upgrades would not cause problems of their own; unfortunately, this is not always the case and a user who has been burned once may be hesitant about applying new fixes.

Microsoft Patches a Windows Update Patch

January 7, 2008

Analysis of:Microsoft Patch Puts Up Stop Sign For Some IE Users | www.computerworld.com

● The release of a Windows Update patch that potentially crashes Internet Explorer 6 is a major faux pas for Microsoft.  ● As with all software, IT organizations need to thoroughly test any Microsoft patches prior to allowing them to be installed on users' PCs.  ● Microsoft should have reacted more quickly once the problem was reported; initially advising users to manually edit the Windows Registry was not an adequate solution.

Microsoft's Tactic to Combat Piracy in China

November 13, 2007

Analysis of:Microsoft Makes Anti-Piracy Move | www.forbes.com

• By having its operating system pre-installed on Founder Technology Group's PCs, Microsoft should be able to reduce the piracy of its operating system in China. • This will also benefit Founder's users as their operating system software will pass Windows Genuine Advantage test and thus receive non-critical operating system updates. • It should serve as a model for other PC vendors, both in China and other "high-piracy" countries, and encourage them to seek similar agreements with Microsoft.

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