Barriers to growth, Opportunities to scale

Select Strategies carried out a survey on behalf of the Irish Software Association in February 2005. The survey was distributed to the indigenous Irish software sector, as well as to other stakeholders interested in the sector. We received 95 responses from 69 companies. The survey analysis that follows has been based on the response of the most senior executive – usually, the CEO – in each of these 69 companies.

The hypotheses that shaped the design of the survey were informed by CEOs, marketing and sales professionals, and the leadership of the technology departments of the more than 200 Irish software companies with whom Select Strategies has engaged over the past 4 years. Much of this interaction was in group settings, through programmes like the SalesSTAR, CREST or Graduate Enterprise Programme initiatives. In other cases, we worked closely with the leadership of these Irish companies, and their international counterparts, helping them address the challenges inherent in growing revenue in the competitive global software market. Coupled with this experience is the contribution of the many other representatives of the Irish software industry, who, through the Irish Software Association, continue to shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of the sector, its barriers to growth and opportunities to scale.

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