From little things, big things grow
Summary
"Selling product is a little bit harder for a start-up," says Mike Solomon, former CIO with law firm Gilbert + Tobin and now an independent business consultant. Saad, however, believes that there is also an upside to working with a start-up, as CIOs can gain early access to innovation that may not be available elsewhere, while also experiencing the care and attention that few vendors provide. But he was also frustrated with the kind of service he received from larger software companies, feeling they were often impersonal and tried to save costs by directing him to self-service options. The amount of hand holding involved, Robertson says, has made the process of acquiring and implementing the software akin to working with a very young company. On the upside, Robertson says the costs of working with an open source vendor entering the Australian market are potentially far lower than those associated with other companies, while the competitive advantage that comes from being the first user "can mean we are well ahead".