Question

1. Find 3 examples of off-the-shelf software packages that are popular in your area(s) of interest (i.e., sales, marketing, etc.). List the following for each:

   1. Price/Pricing Model (how do customers pay for it)

   2. Services it provides (i.e., what problem(s) is/are it solving)

   3. Name of producer of the software (the company name)

   4. Reviews – what does the industry say about the package? List both positive and negative reviews.

Answer 1

3 examples of off-the-shelf software packages -

1) Microsoft Office 365 Business Premium

Pricing model -

• Subscription-based model

Price -

• $12.5 per user per month.

Services it provides -

• Desktop & mobile versions of office apps
• Teamwork & communication
• Email & calendaring
• File storage & sharing
• Security & compliance
• Support & deployment
• Tools to build & manage business

Name of the producer of the software -

• Microsoft

Reviews -

• Positive
  • Functionality
  • Aesthetics
  • Time management
  • Memory management
• Negative
  • Locks businesses into a specific ecosystem
  • Complex setup
  • Becomes expensive over time

2) LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Pricing model -

• Subscription-based model

Price-

• $79.99 per month for individuals
• $779.88 per annum for individuals (one-time payment)
• $134.99 per month for teams
• $1240 per annum for teams (one-time payment)

Services it provides -

• Organic marketing alerts
• CRM integrations
• Lead generation
• Advanced search options
• Invoicing

Name of the producer of the software -

• LinkedIn Corporation

Reviews -

• Positive
  • Searching options & capabilities
  • Contact management
  • CRM integration
• Negative
  • Expensive
  • Not so user-friendly
  • Lack of granular search options

3) Salesforce Sales Cloud

Pricing model -

• Subscription-based model

Price -

• Essentials - $25 per user per month
• Professional - $25 per user per month
• Enterprise - $150 per user per month
• Unlimited - $300 per user per month

Services it provides -

• Account management
• Contact management
• Lead management
• Opportunity management
• Email integration
• Mobile app
• Sales forecasting
• Automation
• Real-time insights

Name of the producer of the software -

• Salesforce Inc

Reviews -

• Positive
  • Powerful CRM
  • Most popular
  • Countless features
• Negative
  • Expensive
  • Poor customer support
  • Configuration & setup is time-consuming