Yahoo used to be the clear winner of the Internet search game, (heard of Google?) Webex used to be the clear winner of Webinars, (heard of DimDim.com ?) and Hilary Clinton used to be the presumptive nominee. (And we all know how that ended)
And lest we forget, Al Gore used to be the next President of the United States of America.
Infor is surging as an ERP alternative to SAP. But nobody knows who they are, and even fewer of us care. Why? All the really big money was made during the 1990's, and today there are many technological alternatives to old-architecture ERP systems. (The Salesforce.com model)
The game is over. it is now about survival, protecting revenues and trying to race to meet the challenges of the next wave of business software. (Or fighting the decline as Larry Ellison is wont to do.)
The game isn't over until it's over. It isn't over until technology makes it obsolete, the game is no longer worth playing, or until you decide to take yourself out of the game.
So if you are behind then take heart - you can still win. And if the game is worth playing, and you want to be a part of it, then winning should be the driving force behind your every decision.
I thought this theme was worth revisiting. I find it very inspiring.
