企业软件重现创新活力

    本世纪之交，企业软件行业步入了漫漫的创新寒冬。

    甲骨文（Oracle）首席执行官拉里•埃里森宣称行业整合的时候到了。随之，甲骨文收购了超过80家规模较小的软件开发公司和科技供应商。2003年以来，IBM软件业务已进行了超过70宗收购，SAP也没闲着。从2000年到2010年，我戏称整个行业处于“创新枯竭”阶段。当然，也有例外，如企业云计算公司Salesforce.com以及全球虚拟化和云计算基础架构厂商VMware，少数企业软件创新公司一举成名。

    当然，同样是这十年。在硅谷，一群20多岁、穿着套头衫的帅哥们建起了Facebook、Twitter等众多消费者网络2.0公司。风险投资人争相对他们进行投资，就像一群痴狂的女歌迷们在英国男子组合One Direction的演唱会上，完全神魂颠倒。与之形成对比的是，企业软件初创公司完全成了明日黄花，连大部分硅谷投资人的门都进不去。

    如今，企业软件行业已重新焕发魔力。

    新一代的初创公司正在借助云服务、社交网络和移动设备的飞速发展，全面改革企业的行为方式。他们提供数字营销和销售渠道，提供让消费者参与的平台，支持企业内部及产业链上下协作，甚至全面改革了诸如出具账单、会计和交易等这样的基本功能。

    这些公司对新一类的商用消费者（bizumers）别具吸引力。商用消费者往往不理会IT部门的建议，自行寻找能提高工作效率的设备和应用软件。云应用软件的“免费+增值”模式和订购特性使得商用消费者很容易绕过常规流程，因此一些企业软件初创公司的软件安装率非常可观。

    比如，成立四年的企业社交软件公司Yammer宣称有超过400万用户，包括85%的财富500强公司，并已经陆续吸引到了总计1.42亿美元的风险投资。云文件分享初创企业Box宣称有超过10万家公司的800万用户；风险投资人已向这家由一位年轻首席执行官执掌的公司投入了1.50亿美元。即便是前企业软件公司高管也不能抵御行业前景诱惑。仁科（PeopleSoft）创始人戴夫•达菲尔德和阿尼尔•博斯瑞已成立了一家新的云公司，专注于提供会计和人力资源应用软件Workday。该公司宣称有超过250家企业客户，并传言正在考虑IPO。

    At the turn of the century, the enterprise software sector entered a nuclear winter innovation-wise.

    Oracle (ORCL) CEO Larry Ellison declared it time for consolidation, and his company obliged by snapping up more than 80 smaller developers and technology vendors. Since 2003, IBM (IBM) Software Group has made more than 70 acquisitions, and SAP (SAP) has also done its part. From 2000 to 2010, I joked that the industry was idea-bankrupt. With the notable exceptions of companies such as Salesforce.com (CRM) and VMware (VMW), few enterprise software innovators made a name for themselves.

    Of course, during the same decade, hoodie-wearing, 20-something entrepreneurial dudes in Silicon Valley fired up an amazing new crop of consumer web 2.0 businesses like Facebook and Twitter. Venture capitalists on Sandhill Road swooned for their attention like a gaggle of girls at a One Direction concert. In contrast, enterprise startups were treated like has-beens who couldn't get a first date with most Valley moneymen.

    Now, enterprise software has gotten its mojo back.

    A new generation of startups is harnessing momentum in cloud services, social networks and mobile computing to introduce fundamentally new ways for enterprises to do just about everything. They offer digital channels for marketing and generating revenue. They provide platforms for engaging with customers. They support collaboration internally and across supply chains. They even overhaul basic functions such as billing, accounting and transactions.

    These companies have a particular allure for the new breed of business tech consumers; aka "bizumers." These are workers who shun the recommendations of IT departments to find for themselves devices and applications that make their work lives more efficient. The freemium and subscription nature of cloud applications makes this process of circumvention easy, and bizumers are fueling astonishing adoption rates for some enterprise startups.

    For example, in four years, enterprise social software company Yammer claims more than 4 million users, including 85% of the Fortune 500. It has attracted $142 million in venture capital along the way. Cloud file-sharing startup Box claims 8 million users at more than 100,000 businesses; VCs have made a $150 million bet on this company run by a young CEO. Even former enterprise software executives can't resist the allure. PeopleSoft founder Dave Duffield and Aneel Bhusri have formed a new cloud company focused on accounting and human resources applications called Workday. The company claims more than 250 enterprise customers and is rumored to be considering an IPO.