Evaluation

Program evaluation is a systematic method for collecting, analyzing, and using information to answer basic questions about projects, policies and programs[1]. Program evaluation is used in the public and private sector and is taught in numerous universities. Evaluation became particularly relevant in the U.S. in the 1960s during the period of the Great Society social programs associated with the Kennedy and Johnson administrations[2][3]. Extraordinary sums were invested in social programs, but the impacts of these investments were largely unknown.

Program evaluations can involve quantitative methods of social research or qualitative methods or both. People who do program evaluation come from many different backgrounds: sociology, psychology, economics, social work. Some graduate schools also have specific training programs for program evaluation.
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Marketing

Marketing strategies for product software assist software firms to determine the type of market analysis that is needed for decision-making. Two general strategies that are well known in the marketing discipline are:
marketing mix; and
relationship marketing.

"Marketing mix" is the typical strategy for traditional mass marketers of product software in competitive markets. Structured market research, and agility in reacting to sales, are characteristic of their product development process (Alajoutsijarvi et al., 2000). An example would be Electronic Arts, with their various home computer software games, which are advertised on television and sold in many electronic stores.

"Relationship marketing", (closely associated to CRM), is used by product software companies who focus on long-term customer relationships (Alajoutsijarvi et al., 2000). An example of this is SAP, which offers enterprise resource planning systems, along with support (since the software is complicated to install). Maintaining customer relationships helps sell additional modules and future upgrades.

Broethers and van't Kruis explain two other strategies that are important to the growth of software firms:
a service-based strategy; and
a different marketing channels strategy.

Information about customer preferences, observations of customer reactions, and knowledge of past mistakes are important for the "service-based strategy". "Different marketing channels strategy" tries to discover non-traditional marketing channels to help increase distribution of software products to other target markets that take advantage of positional differences. "Alliance-based strategies", on the other hand, are helpful at providing knowledge exchanges, opening previously inaccessible markets (such as export markets), and an overall larger market access (1997).

Besides helping with current strategies, market analysis can improve future planning and growth strategies that are helpful in product roadmapping decisions. It also helps discover areas where "complementary product development" and "diversification strategies" can be profitable. Complementary goods can be in the form of other software products, hardware, or services, such as consultancy, user training, and customization (Rao & Klein, 1994). The development of these goods increases the opportunities for companies in the software market (Sengupta, 1998). Even complementary products from other vendors can lead to an increase in the value of the original product, while reducing the time to market (Messerschmitt & Szyperski, 2004).

The complementary product strategy adds value by showing innovation, and creates a multiplier effect on the original product (Sengupta, 1998). Investing in other products and services aids in diversification, which can increase the overall customer base, and helps decrease the risks of being overly specialized (Rao & Klein, 1994). Diversification can, therefore, increase the financial health of the company. An example of this is Microsoft, which has increased the sales of its primary operating system software by offering products, such as word processing, and media player software.


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Portal Software

Portal Software was founded in 1985 as Portal Information Network, one of the first ISPs in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was founded by John Little. The company offered its own interface through modem access that featured Internet email. Towards the end of the 1980s, the company offered FTP.

During this time, the company developed its own account management software. In 1992, John Little decided to focus on developing Portal's internal software for other ISPs, which he saw as a fast evolving market. Their ISP business was shut down and the accounts sold to Sprint. The company was renamed Portal Software in 1993 and Dave Labuda joined the new company as co-founder. Little and Labuda developed a scalable and flexible real-time enterprise software architecture, which they applied to the management of customers and revenue for internet and telecom service providers.

Portal Software developed a billing and revenue software suite (Portal Infranet) primarily targeted at telecommunications companies and ISPs. It was one of the largest companies in its business. Customers of Portal Software included PSINet, AOL Time Warner, China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, France Télécom, iG Brazil, KPN, Orange UK, Reuters, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Sprint Canada, Telefónica, Telenor, Telstra, TIM, U.S. Cellular, Vodafone and XM Satellite Radio. In order to address the telecommunications market, Portal software acquired the InteGrate software from Solution42, a German company which had a history in high-performance telecommunications Rating. This allowed a realistic performance of rating telephony usage events, something that was not feasible with the 'real-time' rating engine they had developed in-house.

Portal Software was bought by Oracle Corporation[1] in 2006 for an estimated $220 Million.[2] Portal Software, together with Metasolv software, is now a business unit of Oracle. Like other acquisition software, Portal Software will be integrated with the core products of Oracle such as Siebel (CRM), PeopleSoft (ERP/CRM), JD Edwards (ERP).

With version 7.3, the first since Oracle's acquisition, it has been renamed as "Oracle Communications Billing and Revenue Management", although in practice, the users still refer to it as the shorter name of "Portal".

The former SVP of Sales, Services, Support, Marketing, Alliances, Business Development, Investor Relations, and Strategic Customer Relationships - Bhaskar Gorti, continues to serve as the GM of Oracle's Communications Group. The former VP of Americas - Bruce Grainger continues to serve as the VP of Americas for the Communications Group.

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