IT Enterprise Software, should it be SEXY….or practical or both?
It’s been a while since I last visited CIO Insight (seems like i have a lot of “it’s been a while since i last….” kind of thing). I came across this interesting article about Enterprise Software or Enterprise IT solution.
Most of us in this IT line know that Enterprise Software needs to be practical. For example, SAP, Peoplesoft, etc. Those are practical IT solution which cost A LOT. It’s so bloody expensive and yet, people buy them because of their extensibility, reliability and practicality. Sexy is the last word you’ll ever think of when you use those application (unless you are referring to someone who happens to pass by you while you are using the system).
And for those fancy n sexy IT application such as FLASH application, Swing, AJAX etc……..those are more to WOW the user during sales/presales activities. The WOW effect is important as a first impression kinda thingy. It will differentiate you from your other competitors. Believe me, human beings all love beautiful stuff. Only AFTER they get over their “WOW” mood, they will start to look at practicality. That’s why in the past, SAP still retain its top spot as enterprise application even though the user interface is……….. =_=
But does that kinf of trend still exist?
Refer to the link at the bottom of the post. Many people (IT experts, and not some guy-next-door-who-does-not-like-IT-anymore like Alvin Lim) have been debating it for months…and maybe years whether the new generation IT enterprise solution need to be SEXY. Of course, it’ll be best if it can be sexy AND practical. But what if you are only allowed to choose 1?
I do not wish to comment much on this. I can only say that, sexy is important. Practicality is too. So if we can mix a bit of here and there…and stay in the middle…why not?
Maybe that’s why we have things like Adobe Flex (which is very very cool. i’ve played around with it and i’m amazed), AJAX………and even SAP is starting to move towards better UI with their Netweaver Web DynPro.
Here’s the link and before you go…..do tell me how you feel in the comment box below 
http://www.cioinsight.com/article2/0,1540,2247491,00.asp
I think IT enterprise software should be sexy, or at least appealing. You see the users are using it everyday, it directly affects their productivity. In my previous job, before the company used SAP, we had to use different kind of MSA system, with black screen and not pretty at all. At least SAP has blue color, which for me was a nice color to look at whole day.
Practical wise, need to have personal touch too.
Bee Ean
16 Jan 08 at 5:48 am
@Bee Ean
yeap. that’s what the article was all about. more and more people are moving towards interactivity and stuff like blog…….nice content and nice outlook. otherwise people will get bored very fast.
SAP’s blue? LOL. some of the people i know actually complained a lot about the SAP blue because there’s absolutely no way to change or run away from it. imagine u r lookin at it 20 days a month, 240 days a year.
thats why now they hav web dynpro…so they can change the color n stuff, throw away the blue
Alvin Lim
17 Jan 08 at 1:52 am