*NEW RESEARCH*: The changing role of 3rd party software maintenance

Third party software maintenance services have had a rough time of it, with suppliers subject to legal challenges as the boundaries and acceptable business practices of the service area were worked out—and it is not over yet. Despite uncertainty from on-going litigation, third party software maintenance services continued to gain credibility and are now taking on a new edge.

Having started out as commodity support services they are developing a new role as IT spend management tools, used to release budget for reinvestment in areas such as innovation and digital transformation projects. At worst they are removing some of the constraints on digital investment, at best they are digital enablers.

The latest analysis from the Enterprise Software & Application Services (ESAS) research stream examines Rimini Street, one of two global third party software maintenance suppliers, looking at how it has evolved and the implications for established ESAS suppliers. Subscribers can download Rimini Street—commodity maintenance or digital enabler? here. Those who don’t have a subscription should contact Deb Seth, who can help rectify the situation.

Posted by Angela Eager at '16:15' - Tagged: software   applications   digital