Technology editor John Stokdyk sets the scene for the 2008 Business Software Satisfaction Awards. Is your supplier in the running?
More than 20 training and HR software companies have asked to be considered for the 2008 Software Satisfaction Awards, and entries will be accepted up until Friday 23 May.
The awards scheme is a joint project between HRZone.co.uk and the other online communities in the Sift Media portfolio, including TrainingZone.co.uk, AccountingWEB.co.uk, Finance Week, BusinessZone.co.uk, MyCustomer.com, and UK Business Forums, and sets out to find those companies that have done the most to keep their users happy.
"The awards scheme is the only one to be voted for by software buyers and users."Run in association with the Business Application Software Developers Association, the awards scheme is the only one to be voted for by software buyers and users. The results are published in a Buyer's Guide which can be downloaded from the Software Satisfaction website (8.5MB PDF).
The awards are also unique because small, niche specialists are able to compete on an equal basis with large, international corporations. Can independent UK suppliers hold out this year against the international giants, or is consolidation the way forward for the HR software industry?
Last year, in the talent management section, Taleo's Enterprise Edition beat out networx and Plateau Performance. And in the enterprise HR section, UK-based Vizual HR missed out on the award to Northgate, but pipped SAP for 2nd place.
Another interesting development from last year has been the acquisition of KCS by Sage, where it joins Snowdrop in the company's specialist HR portfolio. Have these acquisitions established Sage as a leading player in the HR market, and even more importantly, will the companies succeed in keeping their users happy through the transition?
The deadline for entries is this Friday, 23 May 2008 and the user survey will open for voting by the end of the month. Last year, nearly 2,000 software users took part.
There will be more opportunities for vendors to win this year, with the addition of a Newcomer of the Year award. This prize was suggested by BASDA and the winner will be based on user votes and an assessment by BASDA CEO Jairo Rojas, Sift Media technology editor John Stokdyk and Stuart Lauchlan, news and analysis editor for MyCustomer.com.
If you know of a business application or online service that deserves to be considered for this prize, please put forward the company and product name below using the 'add comments to this article' button below.
If you would like to be informed when the 2008 Business Software Strategy questionnaire goes live, visit the Software Satisfaction Awards website and put your name down on the mailing list. Interested vendors should click the link below:
