Hardware, Software, what about Valueware?

I am surprised nobody has figured out how to use the term valueware to describe their hardware, software or services solutions, particular around cloud, big data, little data, converged solution stacks or bundles, virtualization and related themes.

Cloud and virtualization building blocks transformed into Valueware

Note that I’m referring to IT hardware and not what you would usually find at a TrueValue hardware store (disclosure, I like to shop there for things to innovate with and address the non IT to do project list).

Instead of value add software or what might otherwise be called an operating system (OS), or middleware, glue, hypervisor, shims or agents, I wonder who will be first to use valueware? Or who will be the first to say they were the first to articulate the value of their industry unique and revolutionary solution using valueware?

For those not familiar, converged solution stack bundles combine server, storage and networking hardware along with management software and other tools in a prepackaged solution from the same or multiple vendors. Examples include Dell VIS (not to be confused with their reference architectures or fish in Dutch), VCE or EMC vBlocks, IBM Puresystems, NetApp FlexPods and Oracle Exaboxes among others.

Why is it that the IT or ICT (for my European friends) industries are not using valueware?

Is Valueware not being used because it has not been brought to their attention yet or part of anybody’s buzzword bingo list or read about in an industry trade rag (publication) or blog (other than here) or on twitter?

Is it because the term value in some marketers opinion or view their research focus groups associate with being cheap or low-cost? If that is the case, I wonder how many of those marketing focus groups actually include active IT or ICT professionals. If those research marketing focus groups contact practicing IT or ICT pros, then there would be a lower degree of separation to the information, vs. professional focus group or survey participants who may have a larger degree of separation from practioneers.

Depending on who uses valueware first and how used, if it becomes popular or trendy, rest assured there would be bandwagon racing to the train station to jump on board the marketing innovation train.

On the other hand, using valueware could be an innovative way to help articulate soft product value (read more about hard and soft product here). For those not familiar, hard product does not simply mean hardware, it includes many technologies (including hardware, software, networks, services) that combined with best practices and other things to create a soft product (solution experience).

Whatever the reason, I am assuming that valueware is not going to be used by creative marketers so let us have some fun with it instead.

Let me rephrase that, let us leave valueware alone, instead look at the esteemed company it is in or with (some are for fun, some are for real).

APIware (having some fun with those who see the world via APIs)
Cloudware (not to be confused with cloud washing)
Firmware (software tied to hardware, is it hardware or software? ;) )
Hardware (something software, virtualization and clouds run on)
Innovationware (not to be confused with a data protection company called Innovation)
Larryware (anything Uncle Larry wants it to be)

Marketware (related to marketecture)
Middleware (software to add value or glue other software together)
Netware (RIP Ray Noorda)
Peopleware (those who use or support IT and cloud services)
Santaware (come on, tis the season right)
Sleepware (disks and servers spin down to sleep using IPM techniques)
Slideware (software defined marketing presentations)
Software (something that runs on hardware)
Solutionware (could be a variation of implementation of soft product)
Stackware (something that can also be done with Tupperware)
Tupperware (something that can be used for food storage)
Valueware (valueware.us points to this page, unless somebody wants to buy or rent it ;) )
Vaporware (does vaporware actually exist?)

More variations can be added to the above list, for example substituting ware for wear. However, I will leave that up to your own creativity and innovation skills.

Let’s see if anybody starts to use Valueware as part of their marketware or value proposition slideware pitches, and if you do use it, let me know, be happy to give you a shout out.

Ok, nuff said.

Cheers gs

Greg Schulz – Author Cloud and Virtual Data Storage Networking (CRC Press, 2011), The Green and Virtual Data Center (CRC Press, 2009), and Resilient Storage Networks (Elsevier, 2004)

twitter @storageio

greg