Outlook Archives
Here you’ll find a collection of whitepapers published under the Outlook category.
Online Reviews Second Only to Word of Mouth as Purchase Influencer in US
By Bruce LaFetra on October 23, 2008
A broader investigation into how business can exploit online community underlines the importance of online information in driving purchase decisions, but the most influential information is beyond the direct control of companies selling products and services. Courting the small fraction of Internet users who write online reviews and comments is a very important task for many companies, but one they often neglect.
Many companies downplay the importance of online communities because only a few percent of all Internet users contribute to them heavily. What they don’t understand is that most other Internet users read those reviews and rely on them heavily when making purchase decisions. Taking good care of online communities can be a huge money-saver for companies trying to get more marketing impact from limited budgets.
Download a PDF of this whitepaper.
The Apple iPhone: Successes and Challenges for the Mobile Industry
By Michael Mace on April 1, 2008
The Apple iPhone is easily the most publicized new mobile device in recent memory. But despite all the discussion about the product, there’s relatively little hard information available to the public on its impact. How is it being used? What effect is it having on customers and on the technology industry?
To help answer those questions, Rubicon Consulting conducted a detailed survey of 460 randomly-selected iPhone users in the US. This report summarizes the findings from the survey, and what they mean for users and other companies.
Download a PDF of this whitepaper.
Growth of web applications in the US: Rapid adoption, but only when there’s a real benefit
By Michael Mace on September 25, 2007
The rise of web applications — websites that replace the functions of a software program that was traditionally installed on a personal computer — is one of the hottest topics in the tech industry. Huge numbers of “Web 2.0” startups are competing for user attention, and many observers predict rapid growth for web applications.
But most of the analysts refer to web application growth as something that’s going to happen in the future. The reality is that web app usage has already stretched far beyond early adopters, and is moving rapidly into the mainstream of US home computer users. A recent survey, conducted by Rubicon Consulting, showed that more than a third of them already use at least one web application on a regular basis. Students are moving especially fast, with more than 50% using web applications.
Download a PDF of this whitepaper.
In the Channel: VARs Put a Different Face on SaaS
By Bruce LaFetra on September 25, 2006
According to a 2005 AMR Research study of 500 respondents representing companies of all sizes, more than 78 percent said they are currently using or considering SaaS. As ISVs push SaaS applications into the mainstream, ISVs and VARs need to consider likely changes to the channel economic model. One of these changes is likely to be a shift in the balance of power toward full-service VARs. While ISVs will find some of these changes hard to swallow, they need to keep in mind that this is the cost of extending the reach of their applications into additional market segments.
Download a PDF of this whitepaper.
Video Use In Education
By Bruce LaFetra on November 1, 2005
According to market research recently completed by Rubicon Consulting, video editing currently represents the fasting growing category of software sold into Education. More and more schools are producing videos, with even middle schools often broadcasting live announcement shows via in-school cable systems. Most new school construction now includes dedicated video studios for use by students and faculty. Despite all of these signs of impending breakout, Rubicon estimates that only five percent of K-12 teachers currently use video creation in their classes, so the market remains a very early one at this point.
This white paper analyzes the current situation, some best practices for adoption and offers projections for what is next.
Download a PDF of this whitepaper.