The IDIOM Technology Partnership Model
IDIOM is keen to support software vendors and/or anyone wanting to produce code for resale, as well as Systems Integrators, with very flexible go-to-market Technology Partnership models. Idiom contributes its efficient development capability and/or its unique product IP as required, in exchange for a pre-arranged share of the end customer payment. By definition, the vendor must own the in-market pricing model and it would be counter-productive for IDIOM to prescribe any aspect of this model. In order to be as flexible as possible, IDIOM will always negotiate individual 'Technology Partnership Agreements' confidentially with each vendor. A technology partnership agreement is the only model that allows:
- Development of decision models for third parties and/or for resale
- IDIOM Decision Manager sub-licensing.
The IDIOM Decision Manager OEM version is the full version of IDIOM Decision Manager with the added advantages of Decision Manager sub-licensing, and 'templates' for best practice model distribution and for joint vendor/customer development of operational decision models.
IDIOM has many years experience in developing and/or assisting vendors with development of large scale, agile, 'mass-customizable' vendor applications that embed decision models. Decision models provide the capability to drive locale specific, product specific, and/or customer specific behavior within otherwise generic solutions. Contact us for assistance in planning or architecting your development to take advantage of the agility that 'decision centric development' can offer.
IDIOM's sub-license model allows your customers to use the IDIOM Decision Manager to manage their own rules within your applications, whether sold by license or as a service. Using sub-licensing, vendors can empower customers to directly manage the rules which drive selected aspects of their individual application instances.
The key to the Technology Partnership approach is that it is a joint approach to a market. This implies a commitment to an appropriate degree of transparency. The reward is that the commercial approach is always optimal for the vendor's marketing strategy.
Our Technology Partnership agreements also provide commissions for customer upsells. If your customer upgrades to an Enterprise License, IDIOM can pay you a commission on the License fee received by IDIOM.
By definition, IDIOM cannot offer firm pricing within a negotiated model. The following comments will help guide the negotiation process:
- There are no rules - the 'licensing rulebook' is thrown out and replaced by 2 objectives: to add value to your vendor offering; and to make a positive return to IDIOM without impairing IDIOM's IP.
- IDIOM does not expect to make revenue from you, the vendor, per se - there will be no 'developer licensing' or other cost to you. In fact, with an up-sell commission model, IDIOM might even directly increase your revenue.
- A Technology Partnership pricing model does not imply a 'higher price'- in fact quite the reverse. IDIOM's intent is to imply a more flexible price, for instance, one which can be adjusted downwards for low cost or mass market vendor products as required (remember, all such agreements are strictly confidential).
- Revenue is only expected when you go to market - IDIOM will share the opportunity risk, but not the opportunity cost. IDIOM typically mirrors the vendor's own pricing model on a pro-rata share basis, but many revenue models can be contemplated: pro-rata on revenue, per item fees, lump-sum payments, per transaction payments, monthly rentals, etc.
- IDIOM generated code can make up large proportions of your total code base, even for large scale (multi-million line) applications. IDIOM generated code typically represents an improvement in the overall development performance of between 10 and 100 times, plus the lifetime advantages that accrue from improved vendor and customer control over automated decision making.
- IDIOM Sub-Licensing offers a unique ability for you to offer your customer the full power of IDIOM Decision Manager to control and service your applications at low cost. This is because IDIOM can lock-down the IDIOM Decision Manager so that it will only generate to your application.
- IDIOM development support rates are negotiable based on the nature of the opportunity.
- IDIOM does not respond to RFP's or tenders, but will work with and support vendors who do, potentially including with bespoke pricing.