Book Review: Don’t Just Roll the Dice - A usefully short guide to software pricing by Neil Davidson: Publisher- Simple Talk Publishing: ISBN- 13: 978-1-906434-38-0
This is the first book I have read on software pricing. Don’t Just Roll the Dice is excellent book for those who are new to software pricing game. It covers various aspects of pricing mechanisms and factors affecting the same.
Book is divided in to five chapters, which nicely elaborate the pricing process from simple economic theory to real life scenario. As the name suggests it is short guide. It does not go into details of pricing mechanism like discounting to enterprise or bulk customers, trade commissions etc. But nevertheless book is good for starters and must read for every one who are involve in pricing decision of software.
The book is released under Common create license which makes book free to read and distribute.
Disclaimer: I did not get paid to review this book, and I do not stand to gain anything if you buy the book. I have no relationship with the publisher or the author.
One can get more information about book and related topics from:
1. Book’s web presence http://www.dontjustrollthedice.com/
2. Author at Twitter: http://twitter.com/neildavidson
3. Author’s Blog: http://blog.businessofsoftware.org
4. Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Just-Roll-Dice-usefully/dp/1906434387/
5. Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Just-Roll-Dice-usefully/dp/1906434387/
6. Book Review: http://blog.businessofsoftware.org/2009/10/dont-just-roll-the-dice-usefully-short-guide-to-software-pricing.html
7. Another Book Review: http://blog.teambox.com/dont-just-roll-the-dice-pdf/
8. Some comments about book: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7039888-don-t-just-roll-the-dice-a-usefully-short-guide-to-software-pricing
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Book Review: The Design of Design Essays from a Computer Scientist by Frederick P. Brooks, Jr.
Book Review: The Design of Design Essays from a Computer Scientist by Frederick P. Brooks, Jr.: Publisher- Addison-Wesley: ISBN- 13: 978-0-201-36298-5
Brooks’s latest book “The Design of Design – Essays from a Computer Scientist” is truly successor of Mythical Man Month. This book not only covers Design of computer system but also any design problem. As the title of the book is very clear, book is a collection of essays by Brooks on the design aspects of computer systems – hardware and software. These essays very clearly cover design process and various attributes of design.
The book also has few case studies ranging from home to IBM 360 system design. The case studies are the loose part of the book. Brooks might have presented better case studies which might be more relevant to computer scientists and engineers.
Over all basis book is fantastic and must read for any computer designer or architect irrespective of his experience.
Disclaimer: I did not get paid to review this book, and I do not stand to gain anything if you buy the book. I have no relationship with the publisher or the author.
One can get more information about book and related topics from:
1. Author at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Brooks
2. Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Design-Essays-Computer-Scientist/dp/0201362988
3. Author at IBM archive: http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/builders/builders_brooksjr.html
4. Review at kottke.org: http://kottke.org/10/03/the-design-of-design
5. Informit.com: http://www.informit.com/authors/bio.aspx?a=CBFFA52D-D4B2-44E4-B525-94199B158A7C
Brooks’s latest book “The Design of Design – Essays from a Computer Scientist” is truly successor of Mythical Man Month. This book not only covers Design of computer system but also any design problem. As the title of the book is very clear, book is a collection of essays by Brooks on the design aspects of computer systems – hardware and software. These essays very clearly cover design process and various attributes of design.
The book also has few case studies ranging from home to IBM 360 system design. The case studies are the loose part of the book. Brooks might have presented better case studies which might be more relevant to computer scientists and engineers.
Over all basis book is fantastic and must read for any computer designer or architect irrespective of his experience.
Disclaimer: I did not get paid to review this book, and I do not stand to gain anything if you buy the book. I have no relationship with the publisher or the author.
One can get more information about book and related topics from:
1. Author at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Brooks
2. Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Design-Essays-Computer-Scientist/dp/0201362988
3. Author at IBM archive: http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/builders/builders_brooksjr.html
4. Review at kottke.org: http://kottke.org/10/03/the-design-of-design
5. Informit.com: http://www.informit.com/authors/bio.aspx?a=CBFFA52D-D4B2-44E4-B525-94199B158A7C
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Your Next Outsourcing Deal
In the current economic condition, every penny saved is a fortune. As most of the medium and big business already out sourced their IT related operations and small businesses are also looking into outsourcing, it is imperative that lots of new outsourcing deal will be signed. So while considering outsourcing deal pay attention to following points which will enable you to extract maximum out of outsourcing deal:
1. Scope must be defined: Scope of deal must be well defined with flexibility of changing if required via formal process.
a. Pro: Expectations are set
b. Con: Very difficult to do
2. Adopt multi sourcing strategy: If your deal size is sufficiently big ( how to define!), consider multi vendor approach. In a simple IT project, let one vendor develop the application and second one do the QA.
a. Pro: Risk distribution, vendors will be at toes so better response
b. Con: More management time
3. Interlink your service lines to motivate your provider: In your deal, interlink the service lines with the clause of additional work to service provider. This will keep service provider motivated in anticipation of additional work.
a. Pro: Motivated service provider
b. Con: If additional work is not awarded to service provider over extended period, he will be irritated.
4. Cost cutting for future: In deal make sure that service provider is asked to cut cost and increase productivity. This will automatically reduce over all expenditure.
a. Pro: Reduction in expenditure and increased productivity
b. Con: Risk at quality front. Vendor may replace experienced personnel with juniors.
5. Invest in Monitoring and Governance: Every body tends to relax as system stabilizes. To minimize the risks and surprises hire experience outsourcing manager and develop processes and procedures to manage out sourcing.
a. Pro: Better managed outsourcing deals
b. Con: Increased expenditure
6. Fee structure: Consider various fee models – time and material based, fixed rice, out come based. Chose one with proper mix and match which suits you best.
a. Pro: Each model has its on positives and negative and suitable in specific conditions
b. Con: complex deal
7. Managed Services: Consider managed services model.
a. Pro: Management overheads will be at minimum.
b. Con: Dependency on service provider
8. Keep it Simple: Try to keep the deal simple for over all benefits.
1. Scope must be defined: Scope of deal must be well defined with flexibility of changing if required via formal process.
a. Pro: Expectations are set
b. Con: Very difficult to do
2. Adopt multi sourcing strategy: If your deal size is sufficiently big ( how to define!), consider multi vendor approach. In a simple IT project, let one vendor develop the application and second one do the QA.
a. Pro: Risk distribution, vendors will be at toes so better response
b. Con: More management time
3. Interlink your service lines to motivate your provider: In your deal, interlink the service lines with the clause of additional work to service provider. This will keep service provider motivated in anticipation of additional work.
a. Pro: Motivated service provider
b. Con: If additional work is not awarded to service provider over extended period, he will be irritated.
4. Cost cutting for future: In deal make sure that service provider is asked to cut cost and increase productivity. This will automatically reduce over all expenditure.
a. Pro: Reduction in expenditure and increased productivity
b. Con: Risk at quality front. Vendor may replace experienced personnel with juniors.
5. Invest in Monitoring and Governance: Every body tends to relax as system stabilizes. To minimize the risks and surprises hire experience outsourcing manager and develop processes and procedures to manage out sourcing.
a. Pro: Better managed outsourcing deals
b. Con: Increased expenditure
6. Fee structure: Consider various fee models – time and material based, fixed rice, out come based. Chose one with proper mix and match which suits you best.
a. Pro: Each model has its on positives and negative and suitable in specific conditions
b. Con: complex deal
7. Managed Services: Consider managed services model.
a. Pro: Management overheads will be at minimum.
b. Con: Dependency on service provider
8. Keep it Simple: Try to keep the deal simple for over all benefits.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Your Existing Outsourcing Deal
As your enterprise already have outsourcing deal and with changed economic condition it seems that value delivered by deal is not sufficient. So what you can do with existing deal:
1. Encourage Service Provider to cut cost: Cost cutting always has scope. Ask your service provider to provide information where your enterprise can cut costs as service provider has third party view as well inside information about lot of your processes and systems.
2. Encourage Service Provider to optimize standardization and process maturity: As service provider might be working with its numerous customers. Get benefit of this knowledge and ask service provider to suggest standardization and industry practices.
3. Increase Scope and duration of your deal: This will encourage service provider in cost cutting and increasing the productivity. It will also reduce your management overheads.
4. Verify Service Provider’s Performance: Benchmark service provider’s service performance from industry standards as well as service provider’s other customers.
5. Renegotiate: If possible renegotiate the deal with better terms and conditions.
1. Encourage Service Provider to cut cost: Cost cutting always has scope. Ask your service provider to provide information where your enterprise can cut costs as service provider has third party view as well inside information about lot of your processes and systems.
2. Encourage Service Provider to optimize standardization and process maturity: As service provider might be working with its numerous customers. Get benefit of this knowledge and ask service provider to suggest standardization and industry practices.
3. Increase Scope and duration of your deal: This will encourage service provider in cost cutting and increasing the productivity. It will also reduce your management overheads.
4. Verify Service Provider’s Performance: Benchmark service provider’s service performance from industry standards as well as service provider’s other customers.
5. Renegotiate: If possible renegotiate the deal with better terms and conditions.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Considerations for Cloud Computing Strategy
What is cloud computing? No one knows. Every one has his own definition to suite his needs.
In simple words cloud computing is an umbrella term for XaaS and virtualized IT assets, supported by Utility, Grid and Autonomic Computing in one offering. But due to early in life cycle of evolution not all cloud offering are based on Utility, Grid and Autonomic computing principles. X in XaaS has many metaphors and there also exist great divide among analysts, vendors and service providers.
Why should a CIO be interested in Cloud Computing? There are few compelling reasons.
The main benefits of Cloud computing is to shifting Capital Expenditure (CapEx) part of budget to Operating Expenditure (OpEx). Cloud computing also brings in other benefits like Out Sourcing, elastic infrastructure, etc. But as the saying goes, nothing is the perfect, Cloud Computing brings in its own challenges; Security, Privacy, Availability, control over IT assets, Audit-ability, SLA definition & follow-up, Compliance, different style of application & infrastructure architecture, Software licenses, Vendor lock-in and most important is Change in thinking.
To limit the challenges of Cloud computing also has another form called Private Cloud which is essentially cloud computing infrastructure for the enterprise. It mitigates lot of challenges faced by Public Cloud (Cloud Computing available to multiple enterprises from a IT infrastructure vendor) but introduces its own irritants like fear of obsolescence, one more layer of IT assets, change in IT staff mindset, vendor lock in and software licenses.
Keeping in view pros and cons of cloud and non cloud, I have developed few criteria for any application to be moved into cloud or not. These criteria have been divided into Primary and Secondary on the basis of weightage to be awarded when taking decision.
Nevertheless, Cloud is picking up and entering into enterprise IT scene with fast pace. To remain at the top of such situations, enterprises must have some strategy in place for Cloud computing which can guide IT department as need arises. A clod computing strategy must address:
1. Infrastructure needs at enterprise level to move to cloud – public, private and hybrid
2. How to win and modulate people and organizational support for cloud
3. Checklist for deciding for Public, Private or Hybrid Cloud
4. Check list of Dos and Don’ts for potential Public Cloud vendors
5. Reference Enterprise Architecture which provides flexibility of introducing Cloud Computing into it – Private, Public and Hybrid
6. What to be put on Cloud or what not to be.
7. How to tackle Compliance issues
8. How to tackle Security related challenges
9. How to shift from one public cloud to another
10. How to shift from public cloud to private cloud
11. How to shift from cloud to not cloud
12. Back up/fall on strategy
13. Guidelines to compute RoI and ToC
Conclusion
The Cloud Computing is going to change IT landscape like outsourcing. But to garner best of the cloud computing, any organization must have strategy which should be flexible enough to adopt evolving Cloud.
In simple words cloud computing is an umbrella term for XaaS and virtualized IT assets, supported by Utility, Grid and Autonomic Computing in one offering. But due to early in life cycle of evolution not all cloud offering are based on Utility, Grid and Autonomic computing principles. X in XaaS has many metaphors and there also exist great divide among analysts, vendors and service providers.
Why should a CIO be interested in Cloud Computing? There are few compelling reasons.
The main benefits of Cloud computing is to shifting Capital Expenditure (CapEx) part of budget to Operating Expenditure (OpEx). Cloud computing also brings in other benefits like Out Sourcing, elastic infrastructure, etc. But as the saying goes, nothing is the perfect, Cloud Computing brings in its own challenges; Security, Privacy, Availability, control over IT assets, Audit-ability, SLA definition & follow-up, Compliance, different style of application & infrastructure architecture, Software licenses, Vendor lock-in and most important is Change in thinking.
To limit the challenges of Cloud computing also has another form called Private Cloud which is essentially cloud computing infrastructure for the enterprise. It mitigates lot of challenges faced by Public Cloud (Cloud Computing available to multiple enterprises from a IT infrastructure vendor) but introduces its own irritants like fear of obsolescence, one more layer of IT assets, change in IT staff mindset, vendor lock in and software licenses.
Keeping in view pros and cons of cloud and non cloud, I have developed few criteria for any application to be moved into cloud or not. These criteria have been divided into Primary and Secondary on the basis of weightage to be awarded when taking decision.
Nevertheless, Cloud is picking up and entering into enterprise IT scene with fast pace. To remain at the top of such situations, enterprises must have some strategy in place for Cloud computing which can guide IT department as need arises. A clod computing strategy must address:
1. Infrastructure needs at enterprise level to move to cloud – public, private and hybrid
2. How to win and modulate people and organizational support for cloud
3. Checklist for deciding for Public, Private or Hybrid Cloud
4. Check list of Dos and Don’ts for potential Public Cloud vendors
5. Reference Enterprise Architecture which provides flexibility of introducing Cloud Computing into it – Private, Public and Hybrid
6. What to be put on Cloud or what not to be.
7. How to tackle Compliance issues
8. How to tackle Security related challenges
9. How to shift from one public cloud to another
10. How to shift from public cloud to private cloud
11. How to shift from cloud to not cloud
12. Back up/fall on strategy
13. Guidelines to compute RoI and ToC
Conclusion
The Cloud Computing is going to change IT landscape like outsourcing. But to garner best of the cloud computing, any organization must have strategy which should be flexible enough to adopt evolving Cloud.
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