Software Is Dead, Long Live Big Data

Source: Forbes

by Nadim Hossain and Dave Feinleib

With several successful IPOs this year, the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) space is enjoying strong momentum. This renewed attention begs the question — who will be in the next wave of cloud application winners?

In our view, a key characteristic to look for in emerging software companies is whether they have the potential to evolve into broader, “Big Data” information businesses. This is because winning software companies of the future will find ways to unlock value from the mountains of data being generated — whether by humans or machines — thereby creating formidable competitive “moats.”

Below, we examine three categories of software where this trend manifests itself, looking at both mature and emerging companies.

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