Jon Robison | Chief Marketing Officer
Software applications and systems are at the core of any business. From Enterprise Resource Planning to Supply Chain and Manufacturing, Customer Experience to Human Capital Management, applications and related systems can define the performance and efficiency of any department in any organization or industry.
While investments in applications are critical, it’s equally important to ensure that organizations are deriving maximum value from their applications through effective technical support and maintenance services. So let’s first consider some of the key trends that are reshaping today’s software market.
- Enterprise Software Transformation
The past couple of years have accelerated the pace at which companies are embracing digital transformation — which, in turn, has sped up cloud adoption. According to Gartner, by 2024, more than 45% of IT spending on system-infrastructure, infrastructure-software, application-software, and business-process outsourcing will shift from traditional solutions to cloud. This means that organizations across the globe will be at different stages of their digital transformation journey, resulting in hybrid environments that have interoperability support needs.
- Service Quality and Security
The need for improved service quality and security has grown exponentially in the recent past as IT leaders have continued focus on to “always-on” and “always-secure” software systems and applications. According to a survey by Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), 79% of organizations push vulnerable code to production, either occasionally or regularly. The resulting security vulnerabilities frequently result in breaches, which cause reputational damage and financial loss. Organizations are also seeking improved services to ensure that they can maximize the value of their software applications and systems.
- Expertise and Budget Constraints
The technology and software landscape is continually evolving, resulting in complex environments that require specialized skill sets to maintain and manage. According to a report by Global Knowledge, 76% of IT decision-makers experience critical skills gaps on their teams, a 145% increase since 2016. In addition, CIOs and IT departments across the globe are facing unrelenting pressure to do more with less, creating an urgency to streamline costs.
In the face of this new reality, many leaders are asking themselves if in-house support or support from original software providers is actually optimal. Is it time to change the game by adopting a new approach or switching providers?
A third-party service provider with an unbiased approach toward software ecosystem support and maintenance can help you in your transformation on your own terms, as well as in addressing specific pain points with regard to your broader IT needs.
- Software Ecosystem Transformation
If organizations are considering a move to the cloud or other vendor migrations that require three to five years of support for existing applications during implementation, considering third-party support might be a good option to pace out migration according to business needs.A trusted provider can also help with software vendor end-of-support announcements, wherein older-version software is no longer supported without a customized support agreement and an additional fee.
- Improved Service Quality and Security
Organizations experiencing a decline in the quality of service and value of sustained software support, along with inconvenient access to expertise, can benefit from third-party support that delivers on pre-determined Service Level Agreements (SLAs).In addition, a third-party support provider can also address the security vulnerabilities that inevitably increase as software versions age, offering flexibility in contracts that enables customers to opt out of new and future versions, as well as releasing the customer from upgrades that prove unnecessary and costly.
- Cost and Resource Optimization
A reduced IT budget, specifically where software-maintenance-operating expenses are concerned, is a challenge for most organizations. In a potential recessionary environment, this could mean increased pressure to streamline costs and allocation of budget and expertise toward revenue-generating IT projects. Considering the move to third-party support for cost savings has never been more critical.
Spinnaker Support can be that third-party support partner. Our service capabilities span Break/Fix Services, Security and Vulnerability Management, Global Tax, Regulatory & Compliance (GTRC), General Inquiry, and Advisory services for multiple software ecosystems, including Oracle, SAP, and JD Edwards. Spinnaker Support reliably…
- Provides enterprise software support and security as organizations move from on-premise to cloud or other vendors, helping maximize the value of existing investments.
- Offers easy access to assigned best-in-class expertise and solutions for faster incident resolution and robust security, with flexible terms that align with business needs.
- Results in cost savings, reducing the total cost of ownership, and moving to a more predictable OPEX model.
With the right people, processes, and tools, Spinnaker has successfully served more than 1,300 clients from across 64 industries in more than 100 countries.
To learn more, please visit us at https://www.spinnakersupport.com/oracle/third-party-support/
