Comments on: Convio Not Going Public, Withdraws S-1 http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/convio-not-going-public-withdraws-s-1?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=convio-not-going-public-withdraws-s-1 Confessions of a Non-Profit Executive Director Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:36:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: What we’re reading, week of 8/4 « i On Nonprofits http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/convio-not-going-public-withdraws-s-1/comment-page-1#comment-97536 What we’re reading, week of 8/4 « i On Nonprofits Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:40:44 +0000 http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/?p=3514#comment-97536 [...] Read about Convio’s decision to not go public [...] [...] Read about Convio’s decision to not go public [...]

]]> By: Allan Benamer http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/convio-not-going-public-withdraws-s-1/comment-page-1#comment-97397 Allan Benamer Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:56:59 +0000 http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/?p=3514#comment-97397 Sorry, Tad. I'm going to have to dispute you on the SaaS moniker. Your <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20070206215943/www.convio.com/site/PageServer?pagename=prod_fundraising" rel="nofollow">site in 2007</a> never mentioned SaaS in its products page and I daresay, the rest of the site as well. Only until recently in the earlier part of the year has <a href="http://www.convio.com/products/" rel="nofollow">Convio mentioned SaaS</a>. I think it's great that you folks WANT to be SaaS and are heading in that direction but until fairly recently, I think Convio was more prone to marketing itself as an eCRM or an online fundraising tool. This is going to be hard to dispute for Convio. Archive.org doesn't show any mention of SaaS in the earliest web pages for Convio either. I understand the marketing battles fought over the SaaS term -- it's an important concept now that nonprofit management has finally woken up to it. I'd be willing to say that, pending me actually seeing it, Common Ground seems to be the closest to what we mean by a nonprofit SaaS application in the enterprise space. I'd love to see it though and kick its tires. However, this statement: <blockquote>First, Convio is and always had been a true, multi-tenant SaaS provider. We embraced SaaS from day one...</blockquote> is a bit much since that's certainly backdating the SaaS marketing a bit far, don't you think? Sorry, Tad. I’m going to have to dispute you on the SaaS moniker. Your site in 2007 never mentioned SaaS in its products page and I daresay, the rest of the site as well. Only until recently in the earlier part of the year has Convio mentioned SaaS. I think it’s great that you folks WANT to be SaaS and are heading in that direction but until fairly recently, I think Convio was more prone to marketing itself as an eCRM or an online fundraising tool. This is going to be hard to dispute for Convio. Archive.org doesn’t show any mention of SaaS in the earliest web pages for Convio either.

I understand the marketing battles fought over the SaaS term — it’s an important concept now that nonprofit management has finally woken up to it. I’d be willing to say that, pending me actually seeing it, Common Ground seems to be the closest to what we mean by a nonprofit SaaS application in the enterprise space. I’d love to see it though and kick its tires. However, this statement:

First, Convio is and always had been a true, multi-tenant SaaS provider. We embraced SaaS from day one…

is a bit much since that’s certainly backdating the SaaS marketing a bit far, don’t you think?

]]> By: Tad Druart http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/convio-not-going-public-withdraws-s-1/comment-page-1#comment-97390 Tad Druart Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:32:30 +0000 http://www.nonprofittechblog.org/?p=3514#comment-97390 Allan, thanks for the mention on the post. As you point out good and smart companies don't go public in bad markets. I want to point out a couple of inaccuracies. First, Convio is and always had been a true, multi-tenant SaaS provider. We embraced SaaS from day one and our growth shows that the SaaS model is meeting the needs of the nonprofit sector by delivering results, improving relationships with supporters and reducing costs. Every product and application we deliver is true SaaS. We had the audacity nine years ago and have continued that leadership today. Common Ground will take that to new levels by using the SaaS model to manage all supporter interactions. On a non-GAAP basis we are on the positive side of the balance sheet, but for a fast growing company that is investing in innovation for clients that might not always be the case. For this quarter it represents the fact that our acquisition of GetActive and the synergy between the two companies is having a positive impact on clients and the company. You will continue to see innovation and investment in market needs, like Common Ground, that will support our clients needs and our growth. Finally, the lawsuit was dismissed. Due to "clarification" of FACTA the suit was dismissed. There were hundreds of these suits based on language in FACTA that have now been dismissed. We appreciate the attention. As you and I have communicated off the blog, this post shows me that I have work to do in educating the market on our leadership position as the only true multi-tenant SaaS provider in the market. As our results and the $377 million in online donations processed for the first half of 2008 show, our products, services and model are helping nonprofits fulfill their missions. That's something we are very proud of. That's what drives our innovation. Allan, thanks for the mention on the post. As you point out good and smart companies don’t go public in bad markets.

I want to point out a couple of inaccuracies. First, Convio is and always had been a true, multi-tenant SaaS provider. We embraced SaaS from day one and our growth shows that the SaaS model is meeting the needs of the nonprofit sector by delivering results, improving relationships with supporters and reducing costs. Every product and application we deliver is true SaaS. We had the audacity nine years ago and have continued that leadership today. Common Ground will take that to new levels by using the SaaS model to manage all supporter interactions.

On a non-GAAP basis we are on the positive side of the balance sheet, but for a fast growing company that is investing in innovation for clients that might not always be the case. For this quarter it represents the fact that our acquisition of GetActive and the synergy between the two companies is having a positive impact on clients and the company. You will continue to see innovation and investment in market needs, like Common Ground, that will support our clients needs and our growth.

Finally, the lawsuit was dismissed. Due to “clarification” of FACTA the suit was dismissed. There were hundreds of these suits based on language in FACTA that have now been dismissed.

We appreciate the attention. As you and I have communicated off the blog, this post shows me that I have work to do in educating the market on our leadership position as the only true multi-tenant SaaS provider in the market. As our results and the $377 million in online donations processed for the first half of 2008 show, our products, services and model are helping nonprofits fulfill their missions. That’s something we are very proud of. That’s what drives our innovation.

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