Conclusion
Enterprise applications are no longer where the innovation is. The consolidation in the marketplace is clear evidence: The game has shifted to enterprise service platforms.
To succeed in the services model, it's becoming very important to anticipate what customers want or expect in the future and determine how to deliver it ahead of competition, and more importantly, how to do this in a low-cost way.
Taking the customer perspective in creating innovative services is an acquired taste. It takes a lot of skill and experience to become good at it. Are you prepared?
For More Information
If you want to read more about the value migration taking place from enterprise applications to service platforms, see our book, Services Blueprint: Roadmap for Execution (Addison-Wesley, 2003, ISBN 0321150392). You can preview this book on Safari. The book also details the digitization strategies that companies are using to accomplish goals such as streamlining their supply chains, building self-service capabilities for customers, and increasing employee productivity.