A little bit on Exodus.........
techweb.com
Ellen Hancock: Hostess of the Hosting Market
Multitasking is the name of the game in Internet hosting, and nobody plays the game with as much strategy or with more panache than Exodus Communications Inc. CEO Ellen Hancock.
Since coming to Exodus in 1997 from the chief technology officer spot at Apple Computer Inc., she has guided Exodus' enormously successful initial public offering, acquisitions of several complementary e-service businesses, partnering with nearly 200 vendors and growth of more than 40 percent each quarter.
At the same time, this 29-year IBM Corp. veteran has captained an army of people who run hosting data centers in seven U.S. metropolitan areas and London. No rest for Hancock or Exodus: Four more data centers and three international server hosting sites will be up by year's end, bringing the total to 22.
In addition to all of those accomplishments, Hancock has pushed research and development at Exodus, driving the release of new hosting offerings, such as Security Services Pack and ReadyCache Content Distribution Service. It's all part of her complex mission to make "the Internet an integral part of mission-critical enterprises," she says.
-Jan Stafford
Ellen Hancock
CEO
Exodus Communications Inc.
www.exodus.com
ASPs for the BIG technology dogs.........
techweb.com
ASP Supply Chain -- Ford, Oracle Bombshell
David Myron
NEW YORK-Oracle Corp.'s joint venture last week with Ford Motor Co. thrusts the software giant squarely into the application service provider (ASP) and Web hosting markets. At the same time, Oracle was unable to explain how VARs might benefit, leading to some fear they will be left in the dust.
AutoXchange, the first automotive e-business integrated supply chain, will help Ford and its suppliers minimize expenses through streamlined sourcing of vehicle components. Eventually, the company will automate its entire purchase process. AutoXchange will also extend Ford's core business into an e-business enterprise, allowing consumers access to the supply chain.
Through the agreement, Oracle will provide the software, implementation and support, as well as host and manage AutoXchange, making Oracle a major ASP. Presumably, the integration will be done through its Oracle Consulting Services (VARBusiness 500 rank: 10).
Some wonder how carefully the joint venture was thought out, however.
"Oracle doesn't have a fleshed-out strategy," says a source. "It's so new, it doesn't know what the implications are for resellers. I don't think it even knows what the opportunities are."
But, John Repko, vice president of operations for Oracle Business OnLine (BOL), says, "The potential for partnering with Oracle is much greater than the potential for conflict."
E-business consultants and systems integrators seem to take a dim view of such incentives and are convinced they can be successful ASPs on their own.
For example, Larry Kurtz is looking to transition his businesses into the ASP market next quarter by providing Web hosting services. "If that's the business Oracle is going after, it's now my competitor," says Kurtz, president of Aspen Consulting Inc., an e-business consultant based in Rolling Meadows, Ill. "But, there's a lot of business out there. I'd rather go after the small to midsize companies. The more you can help them grow their companies, the more successful we both will be."
Some ASP revenue opportunities Kurtz is considering through Web hosting are video on demand, linking credit card transactions to accounting, and warehouse applications.
Barbara Reilly agrees. The research director of e-business transformation at Gartner Group Inc., Cambridge, Mass., isn't convinced Oracle's one-size-fits-all strategy will work, for small businesses especially. She says they are mostly concerned with Oracle's ability to provide a customized and scalable software solution for each company.
"If I were a systems integrator, I would be looking to align myself with an ASP. You can with Oracle, but Oracle is not going to be the predominant ASP moving forward," she says. Reilly suggests that resellers watch what Intel Corp., IBM Corp. and Microsoft Corp. will offer, as they are competing in the same market.
Come'on FC do your stuff. |
