As Curvature readies its strategic marketing programs for 2016, we’ve looked back on the events, campaigns and industry movements that created the most momentum for us last year. What really stands out is our well-timed participation and sponsorship of six major Gartner events in the U.S. and EMEA, including Gartner Data Center Summit, Gartner Symposium/ITxpo, and Gartner IT Financial, Procurement and Asset Management (ITFiPAM) Summit.
In an earlier blog, I shared how third-party maintenance took center stage during Gartner’s keynote address at their London IT financial event. Not only did the message ring true for us, the universal head-nodding in the packed room reinforced that we were at the right place, at the right time.
As we attended, exhibited and spoke at each Gartner event, we experienced ever-increasing levels of interest in how Curvature helps companies reduce their CapEx and OpEx while achieving greater IT control and agility. Curvature-led sessions were among the most well-attended and highest ranked breakouts at each event.
What’s more, attendees came by our booth at the recommendation of Gartner analysts who suggested they hear firsthand how Curvature could help them extend equipment lifecycles. Our various sales teams had fruitful discussions with major decision makers and it was clear our messaging came through loud and clear.
Highly motivated VPs, CIOs and heads of procurement shared varying levels of fiscal and operational pain from being locked into inflexible OEM maintenance contracts or forced to upgrade equipment prematurely. And, our experiences working with global organizations seemed to strike a nerve. If other companies were achieving significant benefits from our solutions, what could we do to bolster their bottom line?
After years of endlessly fighting OEM FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) about our space, Curvature finally has found its rightful place at the table. Newfound Curvature proponents, coming from the industry analyst bench and leading Global 1000 organizations—espouse our value proposition. As a result, they’re finding room to include Curvature in ongoing IT discussions and decisions.
Not only are we finally at the right place—it’s also the right time, as the industry is undergoing tumultuous change. The disaggregation of hardware and software is driving companies away from closed, proprietary OEM systems in favor of much more open, flexible IT architectures. As hardware becomes more commoditized, the stranglehold OEMs had over their customers is loosening. This will open the door wider for Curvature’s independent maintenance support and professional services offerings.
In looking ahead, it’s safe to say the industry will remain in a state of flux for the foreseeable future. Virtualization already has revolutionized data center infrastructures and a stream of new server and storage virtualization players will continue to drive economies of scale and increased flexibility. Meanwhile, a surge in hyper-converged infrastructure solutions will make an indelible mark on the IT landscape.
Change will continue to come at a fast rate as new solution providers, software specialists and equipment manufacturers enter the market. Ongoing IT transformations will bode well for Curvature as they signal a willingness for decision makers to question the status quo when it comes to procuring incumbent OEM equipment and maintenance services.
Now that we’ve earned our well-deserved place at the table, Curvature is well positioned to help company leaders better prepare for change while optimizing their IT environments in new and unexpected ways.
