Suits
The automobile industry is very collaborative. Companies rarely sue each other. The big players believe that the best way to create value is to make the pie bigger.
In the construction industry, on the other hand, companies sue each other early and often. The big players are more interested in their slice of the pie and less interested in making the pie itself bigger.
Which way will the software industry go? In its early days, the industry had a land rush mentality. There was so much opportunity that nobody spent much time worrying about suing each other. There were a few highly celebrated suits – like Microsoft® versus Apple® over the use of the trashcan icon – but companies generally spent more time delivering and less time arguing.
As the software industry matures, however, the mood may be changing. Oracle’s® recent assault on SAP® may be a harbinger of an industry with harder edges and sharper elbows. Companies may focus more on attacking than building. If push comes to shove, it could look a lot like politics.
At Lawson, we think this would be extremely disappointing. We’d rather be like the auto industry. By collaborating, we can produce greater value for our customers. That also expands the size of the pie. That’s good for customers. And that’s good for us – all of us.
As its name implies, The Lawson Opinionizer offers opinions. We believe we've got our facts straight but we don't guarantee it. A new Opinionizer appears every Monday. If you have an opinion, send an e-mail to Opinionizer@lawson.com
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