Open IT
URL = http://www.openitworks.com/
Description
"Open IT is in the business of making CIOs, and therefore their organizations, more effective. We do this by getting CIOs to form collaborative groups, called forums, around IT projects such as security, Green IT, or compliance. As we have evolved our model we also have learned to extend the network effort to our thought leaders who facilitate our collaborative project activity, and to the suppliers who want to solve problems for our collaborative teams. In the traditional seller push model the seller talks (hopefully) to a few customers separately; customers then get engineering to build a solution that at best is a compromise of different customer interests. The finished product is then handed over to the sales department to "close business" with customers.
In the collaborative "starfish" model the customers share with each other their respective needs and define their collective requirements. Compromises are made among customers with the help of a thought leader that represents their interests—not the supplier's. In effect, the collaborating customers are the inbound marketing department of the supplier. Product revisions and next generations are driven by customer demand pull. Please note how the value exchange went from a seller pushing product features to get a sale to a knowledge exchange and a problem solving relationship between buyers and the seller. There are fewer moving parts and a far more profitable exchange.
It gets better. As our member CIOs succeed in collaborative projects, they share those successes with other CIOs who in turn share their successes. They are now acting as the peer based distribution channel for the supplier. The greater the network effect, the greater the demand pull and value exchange—creating more network effect.
Open IT Works is a Catalyst company as we enable networks of IT organizations to solve problems together as opposed the traditional within-the-enterprise approach. In other words, we are enable the network effect where the more that participate the more value generated for all the participants." (http://www.beckstrom.com)
More Information
How does it work?, at http://www.openitworks.com/Main_WhatIsOpenIT/HowDoesOpenITWork.htm