Industry Insights

Enterprise App Startups Take the Spotlight

By Paul Arnold / October 21, 2012

With all of the buzz surrounding social media and other consumer startups, emerging enterprise companies often get overlooked. That may be changing, however, thanks to a recent Businessweek article that puts the spotlight on some of these upstart enterprise technology makers.

The article profiles several storage, security, and networking startups that are looking to displace Cisco, Dell, and other tech giants. With recent IPOs, soaring stock prices, and millions in revenue, it's clear they're already enjoying quite a bit of success.

So what's their secret? Software.

Instead of pushing hardware, these startups are proving that enterprises can use software to manage a host of mission-critical functions. Software allows enterprises be more nimble, and helps them avoid being locked into particular hardware solutions.

It's great that more enterprises are turning to innovative software from smaller companies, but there's no reason to stop there. One of the most powerful things about these applications is that they can deliver enterprise-class computing to a range of non-enterprise companies, from mom and pop shops to bigger business that still aren't quite big enough to afford traditional enterprise solutions.

To reach this massive audience, enterprise ISVs should consider working with channels that can push their distribution far and wide. Channels often have sizable customer bases for other business services, so adding business software can make perfect sense. Not only can this give applications great exposure, but can also drive new revenue.

For ISVs, integrating with AppDirect provides a great opportunity to reach a wider audience through partner marketplaces. AppDirect allows ISVs to integrate their applications once and be distributed through multiple app marketplaces operated by some of the largest channels in the world, including Deutsche Telekom, Bell Canada, and more. For more information about integrating with AppDirect, check out our Developer Community.