Founder and Managing Director at ISVfocus.com Limited
Cologne Area, Germany
- Current
-
- Founder and Managing Director at ISVfocus.com Limited
- Past
-
- VP International Business Development at Delta Software Technology GmbH
- VP Strategy and Marketing at Dynasty Technologies Inc
- VP Strategy at Dynasty Technologies Inc
- Founder at Attitude Software
- VP Product Development at IBSI Case Development GmbH (Delta)
- Principal Consultant at Synapse Computer Services plc
- Senior Consultant at CMG Computer Management Group Ltd
- Senior Analyst Programmer at Mullens & Co
- Recommended
-
1 person has recommended Andrew - Connections
-
113
connections
- Industry
- Computer Software
- Websites
Andrew Biss’s Summary
I am a technology industry manager with 25+ years international experience, mostly with Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) building, selling and supporting enterprise software development tools.
The common thread that runs through my professional journey is introducing change.
My goal is always to add sustainable value to every project. Not just to get the job done, but to look beyond the usual ways of working and seek change for the better. To see what is new and evaluate the potential benefits; to take the best and discard the rest.
I am an aggressive early adopter of ideas when it comes to new technologies, business and marketing strategies.
Anything new has a tendency to provoke a religious war. When it comes to creating sustainable value, pragmatism is my guiding principle. My only interest is whether I can make my customer, company, project, team or task more effective.
Of course, new ideas, technologies and techniques only have value if customers or colleagues take action, so my ability to execute on presenting new ideas, coaching and motivating people to take action has been critical to my success.
I lost count long ago of how many presentations I have given over the years. Coaching and motivating happen in diverse presentation settings, from 1-on-1 meetings, through formal presentations, training courses, customer briefings to speaking at industry conferences.
To sum up, I am happiest when I can share what I have learned. If you are ever in a meeting room with a whiteboard, then it is only going to be a matter of time before I reach for those board markers to start sharing…
Finally … If I had not joined the technology industry, I might have followed my interest in sound engineering and stage lighting. At concerts I am always curious to see what equipment they are using. I like to watch Pink Floyd’s P-U-L-S-E concert DVD to appreciate (yet again) the design that went into the stage, sound and lighting for The Division Bell tour!
Andrew Biss’s Specialties:
Software Marketing, Business Strategy, International Business Development, International Channel Development, Partner Relations, Software Development Technologies, Application Development
Andrew Biss’s Experience
-
Founder and Managing Director
ISVfocus.com Limited
(Computer Software industry)
May 2007 — Present (2 years 8 months)
I founded ISVfocus.com Limited in 2007; it owns my commercial projects and acts as publisher of my blogs.
As I wanted to learn about blogging, and it helps to write about something you know, I started a blog about SaaS. The ISV Survival blog delivers news, reviews and original content on SaaS.
While writing the ISV Survival blog, I became interested in the technology ISVs use to build and deploy SaaS applications. This builds on my more than 25 years experience in the IT industry; for most of that time I built, sold and supported development tools for ISVs and enterprise users.
Many of my customers were ISVs that used our development tools to build vertical enterprise applications. I started the paasTalk blog in March 2008 to share my thoughts on PaaS. In particular, what PaaS will mean to ISVs on how they build and deploy applications.
Advised a large Indian outsourcer on approaching German ISVs, and redesigned a number of corporate websites.
In Q4/08 - Q1/09 I acted as COO for a core banking startup raising VC. This involved detailed work on the business plan and financial model, as well as meetings with potential investors in Italy and the UK.
Seeing a gap in the broader training market, I launched the SellToCamera blog in September 2009 to help business professionals learn to present on video. This new blog combines my 25+ years of presentation experience with my firm conviction that selling direct to camera on video is a core skill we must all acquire to be successful in our increasingly visual world.
The name SellToCamera seemed apt for a blog talking about selling directly to the camera, getting your message across motivating your audience to take action. You are not selling your product or service directly is a short video, rather you are selling the idea of taking action; taking that vital next step. Achieve that in 2 minutes and you will be streets ahead of your competition (who are still publishing boring 40-minute screencasts). -
VP International Business Development
Delta Software Technology GmbH
(Computer Software industry)
July 2002 — April 2007 (4 years 10 months)
Joined Delta Software Technologies GmbH as VP International Business Development to drive new business and set up strategic partnerships. The company acquired the rights to the Delta/ADS enterprise application development tool in 1994.
Designed and implemented strategy to move company away from its rigid traditional development focus and towards how to become a successful software products business. This required quite a lot of internal discussion and selling to start to move away from the traditional business model.
Worked closely with resellers in UK, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France to relaunch their business and create a plan for growth, focusing on the traditional markets where Delta/ADS was strong: larger banks and insurance companies
Founded Delta Software Technology Italia S.r.l. in Turin and submitted a joint bid with CSC for the massive "INPS" project to modernize Italy's pension administration and payment system. It was interesting to see how a company was formed in Italy, and how different it was to previous experience in the UK and Germany.
Presented at international trade conferences and raised the visibility of the company with updated positioning, branding, web presence, product packaging and a focus on product quality. Also spoke at a number of customer and partner events to raise the image of Delta and to be seen as more of a modern product company.
Introduced the "Solution Selling" process for prospecting and sales management to resellers with custom training materials and real-time support. Helped sales team to achieve targets when prospecting and processing the sales pipeline by learning to say "no". This might sound like a small thing, but it is sometime difficult in the heat of a sales process to take a step back and see what really needs to be done. In a number of situations saying no quickly resulted in a sales process become unblocked and substantial additional sales being made. -
VP Strategy and Marketing
Dynasty Technologies Inc
(Computer Software industry)
August 2000 — April 2002 (1 year 9 months)
Deeply involved in strategic investment in web application development tools specialist ViewSoft, Inc. (Provo, Utah). Dynasty invested $2M in cash for 20%, plus a further 8% from swapping 2% of Dynasty for the 8% stake owned by HP in ViewSoft. Citrix Systems, Inc. acquired ViewSoft for $32M in July 1999.
Pitched Dynasty to VCs in Houston, Europe and Japan. Wrote business plans and supporting documents for a successful $5M funding round. This was my first direct involvement with the investment community the USA, Europe and Japan, and it was very enlightening to see first hand the difference in approaches.
Appointed VP Strategy and Marketing and drove strategic shift to promote applications developed using the DDE through Dynasty's international sales channel. The main application partner was CAD IT (Italy) with SIBAC Core Banking which was conceived to target a large, profitable vertical market.
Managed relationship with key AI vendors Hugin Expert A/S and Dezide ApS (Denmark), and Hi-Flier (Italy). Presented AI-based solutions at industry conferences and to development partners. It was in this role that I presented at an AI event at the University of Montpellier with my PowerPoint slides project on the largest projection screen I have ever used (it was massive!) -
VP Strategy
Dynasty Technologies Inc
(Computer Software industry)
September 1996 — July 2000 (3 years 11 months)
Joined Dynasty Technologies in Paris as head of customer service for the Dynasty Development Environment, a patented application framework used to build enterprise-class transactional applications.
Responsible for all customers worldwide (15 countries, not USA). Managed support team based in Paris, working closely with international resellers to increase customer satisfaction in Dynasty's period of rapid growth. This role also involved an internal sales role within the company, as well as frequent customer interaction.
Performed cost-benefit analysis role in international sales opportunities and worked closely with leading customers, including CAD IT (Italy), BNP Paris (France), Hansabank (Estonia), Rabobank and Interpolis (Netherlands), Logica-CMG a global systems integrator and HPD (UK), Premiere, Deutsche Post and MSG (Germany), and Novo Group Oyj subsequently acquired by Logica-CMG (Finland).
Took over the International CTO role to work with key customers and to advance relationships with major resellers and technology partners, including BEA (now Oracle), Oracle and Tandem/Compaq (now HP). Moved back to the UK to be more flexible when travelling. Stepped in at short notice in 2000 to manage the User Conference in Cannes. Presented on behalf of Dynasty at various customer events and industry conferences.
Took leadership role in partnership with IBM to bring DDE to IBM mainframe platform. Pitched new target to potential partners in Australia and South Africa; presented at industry events, including IBM partner events. Managed development partner project with Enterprise S.p.A. in Rome, which involved a lot of political skills to handle the differences in project planning between northern and southern Europeans.
Moved to Germany to be closer to mainland European customers, and key projects at customers in Germany. Appointed Director of Strategic Projects and then VP of Strategy, which again mean more interaction with customers and prospects. -
Founder
Attitude Software
(Computer Software industry)
September 1994 — August 1996 (2 years )
Founded Attitude Software in the UK to focus on Windows-based application development and object-oriented design. This was my first hands-on experience with OO; the tools I had been working on up until this point were based more on the concepts of Jackson Structured Programming. I developed a number of niche commercial applications during this period using Borland Delphi, at least one of which is still running unchanged today.
Performed in-depth quality assurance review of PC-based development product for German software tools company. This project covered both the software and the supporting documentation. Travelled to Germany regularly to report on progress. Also developed an automated Windows-based product demonstration for use at trade shows and other sales events.
I also translated a programming standards manual from German to English for BMW. -
VP Product Development
IBSI Case Development GmbH (Delta)
(Computer Software industry)
January 1988 — August 1994 (6 years 8 months)
Joined Delta Software International Ltd 1988 to manage the IBM mainframe team for the Delta/ADS enterprise application development tool. This was initially a mostly technical role with an important element of negotiation with head office in Switzerland and fellow development centre in Germany.
Delta/ADS was the market leader in its niche in Europe and was used by many large banks and insurance companies, which meant customer visits and general pre-sales and post-sales support, both in the UK and internationally.
Moved to Germany in 1990 to join Delta Software GmbH after managing the UK development organization and working closely with development teams in Germany and Switzerland. Started to learn German, where my progress was helped by my colleagues deciding one day to stop speaking English to me.
Quickly appointed Development Group Manager for German development team, which meant close liaison with development groups in Switzerland and France, as well as strategic sub-contractors in Germany.
In 1991 this team was spun-out of Delta Software GmbH into a separate company, IBSI CASE Development GmbH, following Delta's acquisition by IBSI (a big Delta/ADS user in France). This meant even more travel, this time mostly to France and Switzerland, and my first attempt to learn French.
Managed a team of 20 with profit and loss responsibility and a turnover of EUR 2 million for IBSI CASE Development GmbH; profit and loss, hire and fire responsibility. Drove the technical strategy and supported international sales. Spoke at a number of user conferences and customer events.
Assumed VP Product Development position in 1993 with transfer of all Delta/ADS development to IBSI CASE Development GmbH, at which point the development centers in France and Switzerland were closed. -
Principal Consultant
Synapse Computer Services plc
(Computer Software industry)
January 1985 — December 1987 (3 years )
Worked with the managing director to start-up a new application development division for the leading independent provider of systems programming services for IBM mainframes. This role involved a lot of customer and prospect visits, with sales presentations and general business development. I also presented the application division at a number of company-wide meetings.
Managed 4 people on project for the Equity & Law insurance company to develop a replacement Broker Funds management application within a tight timescale of six months. This project was based onsite within the end-user department, so I had daily contact with both the end-users and senior management. This project was done under the radar of the IT department, so some political skills also came into play.
Consulted on a range of development projects for M&G Investments, The Salvation Army, Harrods, Desoutter, Cullinet, Hitachi and TRW. Again, these projects were a mixture of pre-sales, post-sales, hands-on development and technical consulting. -
Senior Consultant
CMG Computer Management Group Ltd
(Computer Software industry)
January 1982 — December 1984 (3 years )
Managed 20 people on two year project for the Municipal Mutual insurance company to develop a new life assurance application. This project was my first real experience of managing a large team, and the associated presentations both within the team, onsite to the customer’s IT management and to CMG management back at head office.
Worked as senior developer on reinsurance project for SwissRe, as well as performing a number of one-off consulting activities for CMG customers.
It was while at CMG that I remember being invited to have lunch with an important customer to explain to them what IBM’s new PC was, and how it might be relevant to their business in the future. -
Senior Analyst Programmer
Mullens & Co
(Financial Services industry)
January 1980 — December 1981 (2 years )
Developed actuarial systems for the Equity Research department of this leading City of London stockbroker, with a special focus on investment trusts and gilts.
It was at Mullens that I became a professional programmer, with excellent exposure to systems software, frameworks and software architecture and design. Worked in small team based in the end-user department, so had a lot of direct contact with both business users and senior management.
