Business Software

The Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA), the principal trade association for the software and digital content industries, and NetSuite Inc., a vendor of cloud computing business software, have entered into a partnership aimed at helping software companies succeed amid the new business models, expanding regulatory requirements, and the challenging customer dynamics of today's business software industry.

Officials with NetSuite (News - Alert) said that the two organizations are exploring these and other topics as part of an extensive educational program designed to inform business software industry executives through a series of live seminars, webinars, white papers and unique research.

Company officials said that the NetSuite/SIIA partnership is intended to help educate executives of software companies of all sizes in best practices for a range of topics, including cloud-based accounting and financial management, marketing automation, litigation and regulatory compliance, and the most recent new accounting standards, including the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) revenue recognition rules EITF 08-01 and EITF 09-03.

The educational program draws on the experience and domain knowledge of a number of software companies, end-user organizations and leading vendors from the developer, consulting and channel communities.

"As the leading trade association for the software industry, SIIA is dedicated to helping our members keep pace in the digital age," said Ken Wasch, president of SIIA, in a statement.

"We're also committed to advancing thought leadership among our members. The partnership with NetSuite allows us to do both and help us expand our outreach to executives in the industry," said Wasch.

David Appel, general manager, software industry solutions at NetSuite said that the software industry is undergoing tremendous change right now.

Appel said that there are new business models, more complex regulatory requirements, and more active and demanding customers who are empowered through a range of new social media technologies.

"We find that many companies are reacting to these changes as they occur, without a strategic framework. The NetSuite/SIIA program is focused on education, and can help executives develop strategies to guide them through the changes to make the most of their own opportunities and not just survive, but thrive," he said.