The Internet has made it much easier for people to decide on a software solution for their organization. While pre-Internet you had to do all the legwork yourself, now it’s a simple matter of going online and performing a Google search — “SMB antivirus software comparison,” for example. Google will come back at you with websites like toptenreview.com, pcmag.com, and tomsguide.com, each delivering what appears to be a clean, unbiased comparison of software products.
While in theory, this is a legitimate way to whittle your list of software possibles down to two or three, you can never really be 100 per cent sure the information you get is unbiased. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you wonder if the vendors whose products appear on these websites are paying to be seen.
The problem with ratings
Although user product ratings can steer you in the right direction, they do have shortcomings, including:
- Quality – Customers who have extreme opinions about a product are most likely to post a review, which makes for a low-quality sample. Think Apple obsessives and, on the other end of the spectrum, angry, perhaps socially deprived basement trolls for whom outrage is an art form.
- Size – There is often no way of knowing how many users have weighed in on a product you see being reviewed online. This makes that 4.5-star rating for Product X dubious at best, and downright deceptive at worst.
- Method – Evaluating product performance fairly and accurately requires you to take a scientific approach. While some websites claim to test products side by side, in a controlled setting, there is often the sense that a less-than-scientific approach is used in arriving at ratings and comparing multiple products of the same type.
ITWC and TEC
IT World Canada, the leading Canadian online resource for IT professionals working in medium to large enterprises, is pleased to be partnered with TEC, a software analysis firm that helps organizations of all sizes identify and present the software solutions that most precisely align to their business requirements.
TEC’s professional expertise covers the entire spectrum of business software, including: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP); Customer Relationship Management (CRM); Human Capital Management (HCM) and other HR-related technologies; Business Intelligence (BI) and analytics; and various other specialized and industry-specific software categories.
TEC process
- TEC analyzes your current processes, IT, and overall goals to establish an architecture that will make your organization more efficient, competitive, and productive.
- TEC defines what is required to support your organization’s business processes.
- TEC evaluates and selects the software that will best fit your organization’s needs.
- TEC negotiates the best price and terms with the chosen software vendor/implementer.
- TEC ensures your software is implemented in line with your objectives—on time and on budget.
Through TEC Advisor, you have access to an industry-leading database of over 25,000 features and functions for more than 40 software categories. TEC clients also have access to an extensive team of professional analysts and software selection experts, as well as a vast library of software selection data.
Find out more by visiting the TEC website or downloading this free report about impartial software selection.