Andy Sjostrom
12-19-2002, 10:40 AM
<a href="http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1107-978137.html">http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1107-978137.html</a><br /><br />While on the subject of "hype", I recommend the ZDNet article <a href="http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1107-978137.html">"The 10 best hype jobs of 2002"</a> by Jon Oltsik.<br /><br />"A big part of technology marketing is based upon pure hyperbole because the industry is selling science, and science happens to be a nebulous topic. So combine the vague nature of science with aggressive sales tactics, and what do you get? Hype. As 2002 comes to a close, here are my picks for the year's top 10 most overhyped technologies and marketing messages."<br /><br />Here are some of my favorite parts from the article:<br />On CRM: "Imagine what would happen if chief information officers first worked on fixing the business processes and training people, and then figured out what technology is needed to support this effort. Siebel Systems, SAP or Oracle wouldn't like this too much."<br /><br />On Oracle: "Oracle then released patches to fix the holes, a clear admission that Oracle 9i was not unbreakable."<br /><br />On ROI: "I recently heard of an IT manager who told the CIO he wanted to buy a product because it could save the department $75,000. The CIO agreed, but only if the manager agreed to cut his budget by $75,000. Needless to say, the manager decided to pass."