Marketers who are responsible for selecting enterprise-level marketing software technologies must consider many important issues as they move through the evaluation process. One issue that is likely to arise is whether to choose an all-in-one solution from a single vendor, or to opt for a software platform that contains components provided by multiple vendors. This is not a trivial issue because it can affect (a) how well the chosen solution will meet the enterprise’s current needs, and (b) whether the chosen solution has enough flexibility to meet the enterprise’s future needs.
Both types of solutions are readily available in the marketplace, and both have advantages and disadvantages.
All-in-One With an all-in-one solution, you have one software offering from a single software vendor that, in theory at least, includes everything you need. All-in-one solutions typically include multiple modules that contain distinct functionalities and can be licensed individually. Therefore, all-in-one does not mean all or nothing. The distinguishing characteristic of an all-in-one solution is that it provides out-of-the-box integration. In other words, all of the components of an all-in-one solution have been fully integrated by the software vendor.
All-in-one solutions can be very appealing to small and mid-size companies. They provide the fastest and least painful way for a marketing organization to implement a new marketing technology infrastructure. While all-in-one solutions do require configuration, that typically demands less time and less technical expertise than stitching together products from different vendors. However, all-in-one solutions come with some trade-offs:
- If the solution doesn’t have a feature you need, or if a feature is inadequate in some way, there may be little that you can do about it.
- The provider of an all-in-one solution must keep up will all of the aspects of marketing that its solution attempts to address. This can be extremely challenging in an area such as marketing that is constantly changing. An all-in-one solution runs the risk of becoming a jack-of-all-trades, but a master-of-none.
- Because of the breadth of all-in-one solutions and the need to keep them fully integrated, vendors may not update these solutions as frequently as providers of best-of-breed point solutions.
Platform Marketing software platforms provide one effective way to address the disadvantages of all-in-one solutions. A marketing software platform doesn’t attempt to be a comprehensive solution, but instead provides a foundation, a core set of functional capabilities, to which many other components can be added. The distinguishing characteristic of a marketing software platform is that it is inherently open – it uses an architecture that is designed to make integration easy, and platform providers typically publish robust application programming interfaces (API’s) to simplify the integration process.
A marketing software platform enables an enterprise to design and implement a technology infrastructure that will meet its specific marketing needs and to utilize best-of-breed software tools. In addition, a platform structure is inherently flexible. As needs change, the components of the platform can also change.
Which is best for your business? The answer will largely depend of the scope of your marketing technology needs and your ability to access technical expertise. If you’re a small company with limited IT resources, an all-in-one solution may be best. For most large enterprises, however, a marketing software platform is likely to provide the most effective and durable solution. This post was previously published on the ADAM Software blog. . .
