Guest Blog Entry from Scott Draeger, HP Exstream product manager.
Scott joined the digital document industry in 1997, after earning a BA from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has more than 10 years of experience in the document composition software industry as both a transactional document designer, service provider and a software vendor. He earned his EDP certification from Xplor and his MBA in 2007 from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management...
Last night as I sat at my desk working later than usual, I couldn’t help but notice the sun has already begun to set much earlier than it did even a couple of weeks ago. And that got me to thinking about the down side to “sunsets.”
Now don’t get me wrong, I love sunsets as much as the next person. But if we’re being honest, sunsets aren’t always good thing. Case in point, working in the technology industry I’ve seen plenty of mergers and acquisitions which have left countless solutions and services “sunset” – meaning the newly formed company would no longer support or invest in these products/services. In fact, you may have heard that a number of technology companies have recently announced the discontinuation of several widely-used document automation solutions, which poses a major issue for businesses in the insurance, banking, and public sector industries, among others, who rely on these solutions to decrease costs, improve productivity and enhance customer responsiveness. In today’s volatile marketplace, the value of digital documents for on-demand access and quick delivery of relevant, customized communications has never been more crucial. Now as a point of practice and in the interest of the existing customer base, many of these software vendors will offer an “upgrade” path to another solution after sunsetting a product – but is it a good idea to take it?
A former colleague of mine recently moderated a very informative podcast on the subject of “sunsetting” lead by a couple of industry-leading document composition experts who provided great insight into what companies can/should do in the face of product “sunsetting.” Among some of their recommendations:
· Use this as an opportunity to evaluate what else is on the market. After all, if a solution/service is being sunset, then it probably means there are other solutions with more robust capabilities –just don’t assume the upgrade your vendor is touting is the best one.
· Take time to perform due diligence and see what other offerings are available. It’s important not only to evaluate functionality, but also look for a solution that can consolidate disparate systems and establishes a solid enterprise platform for your future business needs.
· Look for a technology partner who is reliable and committed to continued innovation – that’s the only way to know you won’t find yourself in the same situation later down the road.
So if you’ve been informed that the sun will soon go down on your beloved solution, do not fret – help is just a click away. You can hear the podcast in its entirety at www.hp.com/go/exstreamfreedom. And here’s hoping you emerge from the darkness to face a brighter day.
