Market Coverage | Business Software Applications

Over the last 25 years, Vantive Media staff have lived the business software applications industry platform transformations and market evolution. From mainframe and host-based systems to the advent of client/server business applications in 1992 to the new delivery platforms of ASP & SaaS solutions at the turn of the century, Vantive staff have been in leading executive roles and at the forefront of each new market renovation. This unique perspective provides an unmatched industry domain knowledge and the insight to serve our readers and lead our clients' lead generation, marketing, media and promotions programs to peak success.

The software market appears poised for reinvention and continued growth. Global spending on infrastructure and application software alone is forecast to achieve $260 billion by 2012. The market will escalate to more than $600 billion when including the related software consulting, support and services. Beyond the numbers, this resurgence can be linked to the shift from traditional packaged software to more innovative options such as open source computing, service oriented architectures, cloud computing, software as a service (SaaS) and emerging technologies such social media and Web 2.0. The software market is being redefined and those companies that can redefine themselves in parallel will empower their growth strategies.

Customer Relationship Management Software

Vantive brands provide the vehicle to both inform IT buyers and translate our clients' value propositions into high impact initiatives which enable us to surpass our clients lead generation goals. IT evaluators and buyers around the world gravitate to our CRM software information portals and web sites because those properties provide the most organized, practical and fact-based information.

CRM software and solutions are benefiting from new game changing technologies such as social media and SaaS. Gartner predicts that by 2011, 25% of new business software will be delivered by SaaS and it is clearly CRM SaaS solutions that are leading this market movement. A 2009 Datamonitor research report titled Selecting an On-Demand CRM Vendor forecasted double digit compound annual growth of 17.4% from 2007 through 2013 for on-demand CRM software.

With its collection of CRM web sites, trusted brands and syndicated content, Vantive has become the new media category killer in the Customer Relationship Management software and solutions industry.

Enterprise Resource Planning Software

The benefits of enterprise-wide, integrated information systems are well known, however, the risks and challenges similarly associated with ERP software selection, implementation, integration, customization and upgrades are legendary. The numerous executives and software selection project managers that have chosen the wrong ERP software applications have clearly contributed the often cited near 50% ERP implementation failure rate.

Vantive coverage for the ERP market aids business software evaluators and decision makers with the most useful and up to date information necessary when choosing a mission critical business software system. Vantive editorial content, vendor reviews and post-implementation lessons learned help IT buyers understand the strengths and weaknesses for each market leading ERP vendor as well as clearly understand where each ERP solutions best fits. Vantive's ERP software readership includes software selection committee members, ERP software implementers, inside and external consultants, project managers, system integrators and a host of C-Suite executives.

Accounting Software

As well stated by Nigel Rayner of Gartner, today's finance leaders are expected to 'transform finance from transaction processes into strategic advisors for the business.' While agreement with the mantra is unquestioned, this enterprise mandate become challenged when combined with other tactical requirements such as ensuring fiscal integrity, demonstrating regulatory compliance, delivering real-time information to decision makers, preparing the period-end reporting packages, managing the change from GAAP to IFRS and increasing productivity from finance staff.

Finance strategy and accounting software systems provide the tools for CFOs and finance managers to achieve the mission. However, while traditional accounting systems adequately sum debits and credits as well as deliver historical financial reports to external parties such as investors and regulators according to GAAP, most fail to automate business activities and deliver actionable intelligence to the company's decision makers, knowledge workers and internal stakeholders.

Finance professionals are hungry for helpful information to achieve their mission and understand what today's market leading accounting software solutions can deliver. Vantive's accounting software media attracts information seekers from across the enterprise, from departmental managers from every line of business to the IT Director and CIO to the Controller and CFO to the executive team. Each of these readers is in search for information which explicitly informs how to maximize economic benefit while minimize risk.

Traditional accounting systems which focused on reporting financial results to external parties are history. Vantive content focuses on today’s finance organization which needs broader capabilities to better address the new complexities of financial accounting, including the new responsibilities of corporate governance, increased business process automation, the merging of operational and financial data, new agility to accommodate changes in corporate structure and the accelerating demand for more and better management information.

Manufacturing Software

Although historically known as a business software technology laggard, the most successful manufacturing leaders leverage new technology manufacturing systems to cut costs, decrease cycle times, forecast material requirements, maximize yields, plan machine efficiency, improve product quality, manage inventory carrying costs, automate the supply chain, ensure regulatory compliance and deliver real-time information throughout the enterprise. Vantive delivers the manufacturing media and content which directly contributes to each of these critical factors and further provides manufacturing insight in the forms of best practices, case studies, peer reviews and lessons learned.

Vantive's manufacturing media is followed by the CFO, COO, IT Director, Shop Floor Managers, Logistics Managers, Fulfillment and Purchasing Professionals and the numerous production staff charged with getting products to market. Vantive special interest content includes practical 'How To' editorial content related to the evaluation, implementation or utilization of various tools and technologies used within the manufacturing life cycle, including manufacturing software, MRP systems, RFID, Warehouse Management, Fleet Management Systems, Telematics and Outsourced Services. By acting as a comprehensive and independent third-party adviser, we’ve become a trusted source for millions of manufacturing buyers.

Human Resource & Payroll Software Solutions

With intense workforce competition, increased outsourcing, continuous regulatory changes, new technologies and decreased budgets, the Human Resources market is one of the most dynamic and rapidly changing markets.

Vantive Media Human Resources research, content and media coverage evolves with the continually changing and highly regulated HR and payroll industries. Vantive HR content is designed to reach decision makers, practitioners, influencers, and recommenders of products and services such as HR information systems (HRIS), applicant tracking software solutions, benefits administration software and group health & workers compensation cost containment solutions. Vantive also helps HR evaluators make sense of the growing HR software technology market.

Vantive HR coverage includes holistic reviews of Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) as well as topical and special interest coverage for key functions such as human resources management, payroll processing, human capital performance management, benefits administration, talent management, time & attendance and employee self service. Our understanding of the unique nature of the HR strategy, software applications, influencer communities and practitioner challenges aid our target readers and help put our clients at the top of customer short lists.