Vertical enterprise apps: Empowering the end user
Just as (relatively) new and (at first) niche TV outlets like HBO or Netflix, brought new choices to consumers, so too will new, and at first niche, applications bring more functionality and utility to enterprise users.
OK, I’ll admit that the analogy made in this GigaOm article is a bit odd, but the point is well taken.
The enterprise is probably the most exciting market in disruption now.
As Hearsay Social investor and all around genius Jon Sakoda highlighted in an earlier talk, Silicon Valley left behind many key verticals in the 1990s. Sure, there are ton of great horizontal applications, most notably Salesforce, but few have attempted to go into a vertical, really understand the requirements and workflow, and come up with a new application just for them.
Happily, all that is changing and it is exciting stuff. The poster child is Veeva and how they are overhauling the life sciences industry.
Guidewire is not only vertically focused (insurance), but focused on a vertical within a vertical (property and casualty insurance.) Oh yeah, their market cap is $3.4 billion, thank you very much.
We’re seeing the same trend at Hearsay Social. We know there many various social media sales and marketing platforms out there but none really understand or serve the needs of the financial services market.
The financial services market is huge, complex, critical to the success of our economy, and yet so poorly understood by tech companies.
But being laser focused on that industry means we can help financial agents and advisers better understand social, better understand their customers, and help them turn social into as important a communications channel as the phone or email.
The financial services industry is dying to learn more about the crazy rapid changes in how consumers are accessing information.
Hearsay understands social, we understand financial services and because of our focus, we are the best in the market hands-down in bringing the two industries together.
The enterprise is going though massive disruption. We’re leading the way in financial services and it is great to see others adding unique, industry specific value, in other verticals.
A Musing 
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