Break Out the Case Studies

Yes, sponsored by manufacturers of case studies and white papers is notorious not-too-distant honest commitment marketing projects. However, if you know how to use your strengths, we can become one of the best research tool, and any Interop project.

If you are a carpenter, you know, "measures to reduce the two once," If you in electrical, its "Better safe than sorry", if you plan Interop project, I have a motto, you said: "never stop listening, because many sources, you can." Perhaps not as sharp angle, as others have, but it is also equally important. Note the use of the word "listen", as opposed to "talk" - this is not meant to make the Act passive, but must be shifted to where it truly belongs to it. You can listen to other people, you can listen to other people write, and probably the most important, you can listen to his words and that is what is not said. The more you listen, the more you can understand the successes and failures of people have tried similar task before you, as well as better prepared you are to face these tasks yourself.

First question, the case studies and information is the White Paper. They are a great source of initial information, but only - and I want to emphasize that the only - if you understand that they represent: a marketing tool, which is only one step above a press release. This is not to diminish their importance, but their perspective. Vendors will not publish a case study on what unforgiving, its products, as well as why an immigrants efforts fail, it may not help sell the product. If you understand this, you can start focusing on the value of case studies and held the White Paper.

Most vendors published case studies and related information on their Web site. Red Hat, for example, white papers, success stories, network broadcast, and there are many other useful tools (White Paper Unix to Linux migration is a great starting point. Novell has been the success story of the film, and so on, all their products are available here. the list goes on and on - rare is the seller, they do not have to provide similar information.

first thing to consider when reviewing the case study is similar to how you are different types of companies. if the supplier to sacrifice, and add write a detailed success stories, how they help a small business family shops to the point-of-sale system, there will be a strong possibility, they do not have any major customers or achievements they should be selling (a Russian proverb reads: "Please tell me, who is your friend, I can tell you, who you are"). now, it may not, which is their biggest success - there is always the possibility that the seller focusing on a profitable niche market - but you will feel more comfortable from the fans, if you can see a company similar to (or greater than) you, the seller and how this company to overcome the problem.

how close the company is to discuss your game, these things do happen, because the volume of data and types of hardware, but it does not stop there. organized it is, in the various sectors like your organization, or are completely different? it did not comply with the same rules for data access and retention (Sarbanes - Oxley Act, HIPAA, etc.)? not all of this information will be available at each of the case studies But more importantly, you can find here, the more useful the information will be your.

the next thing to think about is how much sugar-coated? many flowery words how customers are very surprised, blown away, delighted, and so on, there is still frank discussion of some of the problems and obstacles emerge? always check if the document is the creation of internal or by a third party - usually this is a major indication of the level of deviation, you will be. This is just a rule of thumb , but frankly not always guaranteed panacea, but it often the case. Furthermore, it is usually helpful background information, including related industries, or if the company is made up of different, everyone in the industry, not with a lot of information will be relevant to you.

one of the most important steps in the review of case studies is to determine what is not included. ask text Jump From installation to the "four weeks after¡¡" - or through the "after change configuration settings and rebooting three times¡¡?" Obviously, the more detailed information included, more useful documents, will be. seems to be a tendency, posted only small cases research, in the form of text, as well as a longer video. video and it would be helpful (you love how everyone thought that the choppy photojournalism has a unique super cool), there are some things must be said that in order to write, you can return to time and time again.

next on the list? date. how recent events are being discussed? not occurred in the past year - or the past 10 years? Sometimes the seller will be to ensure that this company is truly satisfied with, in writing, before the case studies, and can cause unnecessary delay release of information, but even so, you read about a successful migration to Linux 2.2, or 2.4, you might as well spend time reading a history book. to Profiling focus on the White Paper integration projects in the past year and more.

find Quotes. market and is meant to show someone other than the vendors that the products are great, they serve another purpose: They to provide you with a name, it was in the company of different types of people has gone through a process, a process similar you are. take this information and use it to contact people directly linked to (e-mail, telephone, regardless of works). tell them you read case studies, you want to ask them a few additional questions and we hope that the people who you say are the same information will be provided outside of what is written or broadcast video. you may be able to find something better than expected, and that They are a true evangelists, the vendor, or you may be able to find some other issue, they encountered that were not considered what the seller would like to talk about, let them leave. You may also find that, a few months later, they resumed their use, as a stumbling block, the whole idea of a terrible undertaking.for example, I once called someone recommended a videotape, and that his testimony was acutally be taken out of context. talk to almost 30 points bell, I learned more from it than I ever will from any other source. no matter what, you will have more information when you start to use, and will be better equipped to assess their own situation.

case studies and white papers is not the only place the information, but they provide an excellent source of preliminary study. in the next few months, we will look at some other sources for good, However, we will delve into next month into a single case studies, and walk through what the White Paper and the manufacturers do not tell you.