On Growth


Now Is the Time To Become an IT Services Company

In the new technology marketplace, it's the buyers -- not the sellers -- who have the power. And buyers are increasingly focused on intangibles.

Why the State of Vendor-Partner Relationships Is Good, But Not Great

In an informal survey, Mike tries to figure out what's causing the tension between software vendors and their partners -- and what they can do to alleviate it.

For Partners, the Cloud Keeps Getting Cloudier

The fight for market share is intensifying, and as a result the costs for a share point of growth are getting frightfully more expensive.

12 Secrets to M&A Success

Begin with the end in mind and know what you want and need before you buy, based on your overall long-term growth strategy.

Want Your M&A To Fail? Here's How

Most M&As fall apart in the post-acquisition stage, when management is least likely to expect it.

When Is Growth a Problem for Partners?

The simple truth is that IT services executives have to constantly be looking ahead two and three years.

Microsoft Partners and the 'Adjacency Growth Strategy'

It's when your business expands more than one degree of separation from your core offering that things unravel.

10 Annotated Business Strategy Commandments

Sometimes, crafting a successful business strategy requires less innovation and more of the tried-and-true.

Rising Above a Fragmented Market

When it comes to basic market dynamics, the IT services industry can be characterized in economic parlance as a fragmented industry.

The Right Kind of Exit Strategy

Manage your business as though you're planning to work until retirement or to the day you pass it to your children. Then, you'll know you've developed the perfect exit strategy.

How Much Company Can I Afford To Buy?

The IT M&A market is heating up -- here's the questions you need to answer to be ready for your next possible acquisition.

Get on the AMS Bandwagon

Applications managed services (AMS) has been gaining a lot of traction lately.

A Year for Leadership

The executives who succeed in 2010 will be the ones who make the tough choices that position their companies wisely.