I have just spent a few days at the Gilbane Conference on Content Management here in Boston.  It was a well attended event and (as is the norm), there was a very healthy bunch of commercial sponsors - companies who shell out a lot of money to get the chance to show their wares, talk to delegates and generally showcase their latest and greatest innovations.  So all is good in the world of software - but is it?

My cynicism radar was definitely working overtime.  Having attended some of the sessions - and I thoroughly enjoyed some of them - I have to say that there was a distinct lack of enthusiasm in some for vendors.  If you believed some of the self proclaimed 'industry watchers', 'demand side analysts' and 'CMS experts' you would think that the commercial software vendors are a cabal of evil, hell bent on relieving all those poor unsuspecting organisations of their software budgets, and delivering very little in return.

Now I have worked in software for 20 years, and in IT for 23 years, so I have seen my share of this view from customers, but I have to say I am getting a little bit tired of this view.  We all know what bankers do - they bank; retailers retail and defence contractors help to defend.  The software industry is a very dynamic and fast changing sector.  The level of talent and the level of innovation that exists within the sector is second to none.  With innovation comes risk.  Thousands of software companies are formed every year.  The amount of risk sustained by the software sector is unbelievably high.  Software as a sector really does punch way above its weight when it comes to its attitude to risk.  With risk comes reward to some, but a lot of strife to the majority of software startups.

So the next time somebody turns round and questions the motives of the software industry, ask them if they realise the level and speed of innovation that is produced every year.  The ability to bring products to market which really address true real world problems.  The ability to make things faster, or cheaper, or easier to use.  This comes from innovation and from a healthy and positive attitude to risk.  This does not come cheap.  Not in monetary terms, nor in the blood sweat and toil shed each and every day by the small guys, the innovators, the risk takers.