Strategic vendors are those vendors who've formed a "deep" relationship with an organization and where they not only support businesses but also come up with innovate ways to improve technology applications year over year.
Information Week has published a list of the top 10 IT strategic vendors whom "countless CIO's" have said, they can't live without.
- IBM - the Big Blue. According to Information Week, "Today, IBM's range of services and products -- outsourcing, integration, consulting, software, systems, security -- still make it a one-stop business technology provider for the blue chip crowd". IBM's expertise is across almost every sector including healthcare, energy, law enforcement, retail, automotive, government, etc. You name it, IBM's got it.
- SAP - Which one of us doesn't know the value of SAP's financial, manufacturing, and supply chain applications? Not surprising then that they ranked numbero dos on Information Week's list. We read that SAP recently went through some management shake-ups. Their CEO promises "renewing SAP's commitment to technical innovation" so let's see what happens there.
- Microsoft. Hmmm....Number three? Even I was surprised. Come on, as much as the MAC taketh over, Microsoft reigns supreme so why are they number three? If no Microsoft, where would we all Windows lovers (and haters) be?
- Oracle. Oracle is the number one database vendor which no one can argue. So their 4th position is quite understandable.
- Cisco. I agree that it would be difficult to place Cisco any higher than five given what they offer which is unique but yet not so unique that no one else can do it.
- Hewlett-Packard. Not sure I agree with Information Week that HP could have ranked higher. Again, looking at the vendors that take up spots one to five, I feel that HP's number six position makes sense. I also don't agree that HP is still known as a "PC & printer vendor". Hello!!! They bought EDS! That in itself shoud capatulate their position as the number one "technology provider" beyond printers.
- Teradata. Interesting that this vendor is considered a "strategic vendor" and made it on the top 10 list. As much as I believe in "competitive intelligence data" and "data mining", I don't see how this company made the top 10 list.
- VMware. Hmmm. According to Information Week "VMware still commands anywhere from 75% to 80% of the hottest enterprise software market, though Microsoft, Citrix, and Red Hat are hot on its heels". I guess, I can see their point.
- EMC. Not sure why EMC got a separate mention (or perhaps why VMware did since EMC made it in the top 10 rankings). Storage the EMC way is very popular so their inclusion makes sense, just not their double inclusion even if VMware is considered a "separate company" by EMC.
- Outsourcer de jour. Hmmm. Makes no sense that the list ends with a "who ever fits the CIO's bill"................
Do you agree with the top 9 vendor list put together by Information Week? Which important ones do you think they missed?