By now you know the idea... Check out the Q1 (here), Q2 (here) and Q3 (here) shootouts on Future of Work. These quarters were won by Ceridian, Microsoft (acquisition of LinkedIn) and SAP SuccessFactors SConnect event and related announcements.  

 
 



 
 
 

 
In case you wonder about the methodology - check out the above links, too - no need to repeat here.
 
Here you go for Q4 2016 - all related to Future of Work - the research area that covers how, when, what and if we work, what and how we get paid, stay motivated and balance the work / life relationship:
 
 
 
 
Holger Mueller Constellation Research Future of Work Oracle SAP SuccessFactors Workday
 
 
 
 
[Apologies - time to market forced me to play the bracket right to left.]
 

Round #1 Dropouts

 
  • Microsoft Teams - A key announcement given the ubiquity of Microsoft Office and an acknowledgment that more needs to be done for team / group productivity. A solid version one by Microsoft, 2017 will show how well the product will do against the mind share leader Slack (read here). A close call with the Google Job APIs, which are remarkable as Google dabbles into the enterprise software space in general and HCM more specific. The immediate impact and uptake of these APIs gives Google the edge (read here).
       
  • 5 Lessons for CxOs - Based in the US elections, a musings post, really in here ias a filler to have a complete bracket, but worth a look (read here). Not really an opponent for Oracle's HCM related progress and announcements at Oracle OpenWorld (read here). 
     
  • Zenefits Z2 Launch - A key event for Zenefits, unveiling licensed software for the first time and launching its payroll offering. 2017 will have to show how well the vendor, plagued by executive departures (2 CEOs leave in 12 months) will do (read here). Not the same class with 1.1B+ Time and Attendance / Workforce Management leader Kronos (read here).
     
  • Twitter Personas - Another musings post to complete the bracket (not much happened in Q4 in Future of Work apparently) on how to understand Twitter usage (read here). So no match for SAP's announcements that SuccessFactors will run on Microsoft Azure (read here).
     

Round #2 Dropouts

 
  • Google Jobs APIs - Though a key first offering for enterprise software, the Google Jobs API mainly garnered attention to where it is focused on - talent acquisition (read here). The Oracle HCM announcements were broader, so this one goes to Oracle (read here).
          
  • Kronos KronosWorks - A key event for Kronos, that keeps growing and growing, with an interesting partner (Switzerland for all vendors) and vertical strategy (events aligned with that), Kronos maybe breaching the Top5 HCM vendors in 2017 (read here). But more attention by people leaders on SAP SucessFactors, deciding to run SuccessFactors in Microsoft Azure (read here).
  

 

Q4 Finals - Oracle HCM beats SAP SuccessFactors 

In a close finals match Oracle ekes out the win over SuccessFactors. While the IaaS decision for SuccessFactors for Azure will impact many SAP customers, Oracle has shown an overall push across the Oracle HCM suite, and most importantly acknowledged and shared that it is re-building the Taleo Recruiting capabilities on the Oracle Cloud technology stack, whenever Oracle completes that - it will be the most complete suite from a functionality perspective on a single platform.
 
So congrats to Oracle HCM to win the Q4 2016 Future of Work shootout. 
 
How would you have scored the Q4 2016 news? Please comment!
  
 
Here are all blog posts:
 
  • Musings – Microsoft discovers teams - launches Microsoft Teams - read here.
  • 5 lessons enterprises CxOs can learn from the US ElectionsFirst Take - read here.
  • Event Report - Zenefits Z2 event - Good start for the very SMB - read here.
  • Musings - What is your Twitter Persona? Read here.
  • First Take - Google enters enterprise software space with Google Jobs API - read here.
  • Event Report - Kronos KronosWorks - Solid progress and big things loom - read here.
  • News Analysis - Microsoft announces SAP's choice of Azure to help enterprises transform HR - The SaaS land grab is on - read here.
  • Event Report - Oracle OpenWorld - the HCM perspective - Almost no news, but wait. Read here.
 

 

 

Other Shootouts for 2016:
  • Q1 2016 Future of Work Developments & Trends Shootout - read here.
  • Q1 2016 NextGen Apps Development & Trends Shootout - read here.
  • Q2 2016 Future of Work Development & Trends Shootout - read here.
  • Q2 2016 NextGen Apps Developments & Trends Shootout - read here.
  • Q3 2016 Future of Work Developments & Trends Shootout - read here.
  • Q3 2016 NextGen Apps Developments & Trends Shootout - read here.
  • Q4 2016 NextGen Apps Developments & Trends Shootout - read here.
Find more coverage on the Constellation Research website here and checkout my magazine on Flipboard and my YouTube channel here.
2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016 (C) Holger Mueller - All Rights Reserved

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constellation research, FoW, Future of Work, google, Holger Mueller, kronos, microsoft, openworld, oracle, oracle hcm, sap, successconnect, successfactors, teams