Michael E. Dortch is Director of Research for Focus. Before joining Focus, Michael was most recently Principal Analyst and Managing Editor of DortchOnIT.com, 'an independent voice for technology-dependent people.' He has been an IT industry analyst focused on translating technologies into business value for more than three decades, independently and at respected firms such as Aberdeen Group, Robert Frances Group (RFG), and Yankee Group. Michael has helped both established and emerging vendors to craft go-to-market messages and strategies aligned with users' business goals and needs. He has also helped Global 2000, mid-market, and emerging enterprises to choose and deploy IT solutions more successfully. Michael is widely published and frequently quoted in business and technology publications, and a popular speaker at IT industry and business gatherings, in person and online. In 1990, Michael wrote "The ABCs of Local-Area Networks," a book published internationally in three languages by Sybex, Inc. He is based in Santa Rosa, California, and can be reached directly at mdortch@focus.com.

Information Technology, CRM, ERP, Hosting and Bandwidth, IT Security, Marketing Automation, Servers and Storage, Nonprofit & Social Services, Technology, Telecommunications, software as a service, SaaS, cloud computing