Tricentis are making big waves in the testing pool, it’s what happens when you dump a lot of marketing budget in the shallow end.
It makes sense – Tricentis have got a lot of ground to catch up on Micro Focus, and it’s much easier to tell than it is to show.
Tricentis need to get their message across somehow, nobody can blame them for that. They want to extol their features and convince testers they’re a valid option. It’s completely understandable.
The thing is though, Tricentis’s marketing effort is, well, Micro Focused. Why is that? Why are Tricentis concentrating so much on the competition, rather than their own tools?
It’s because Tricentis want Micro Focus customers. Tricentis want to use Micro Focus’s success against them, hoping testers have become complacent. Tricentis want testers to think the grass is greener… but as you know, it rarely is.
I did a quick search for ‘Micro Focus’ on the Tricentis website… I got 373 results!
Here’s a couple of quick facts to kick us off…
- Tricentis website: Micro Focus is mentioned 373 times
- Micro Focus website: Tricentis is mentioned 4 times
What does this tell us? Well, it shows that rather than talk about themselves, Tricentis would rather focus on the competition. Meanwhile, Micro Focus are content to just go about their business. Why is this? Why are Tricentis Obsessed with Micro Focus?
Tricentis Want to Tap into the Micro Focus Customer Base
Tricentis are desperate to tap into the Micro Focus customer base. Tricentis understand that large enterprise customers will buy more licenses. They’ve done their analysis, they know that large companies, who take testing seriously, use Micro Focus.
Tricentis will say anything to get a slice of the pie.
Micro Focus are The Best at What They Do
As I’ve previously discussed, Micro Focus are the benchmark that all other test tools measure against. They’re the Google, Coca Cola, MS Outlook of test tools. Every tester knows about them, the vast majority have used them, and everyone has an opinion. Tricentis are nowhere near this bracket.
By targeting Micro Focus, Tricentis hope to elevate themselves into that space.
Familiarity Breeds Contempt
Humans possess a well-known psychological trait – familiarity breeds contempt. Essentially, the more we get used to something, the more we take it for granted. This applies in our personal relationships, our own situations, our possessions and yes, our test tools.
The Micro Focus tools have been in the marketplace for so long, its only natural that users have become complacent. The more you’re exposed to something, the more you see its faults and the less you appreciate it.
Tricentis Want You to Think Their Grass is Greener
Tricentis want to use Micro Focus’s familiarity and success to their advantage. You’ve no doubt heard the fallacy that the grass is always greener on the other side. This is what Tricentis are playing on here.
Tricentis are tapping into basic human psychology, focusing on testers familiarity with the Micro Focus suite. They’re offering a solution to a problem that doesn’t really exist.
Instead of Shouting, Micro Focus Just Keep On Improving Their Tools
Micro Focus, as opposed to Tricentis, are not using psychological tricks. They are just listening to customers, and constantly improving their solutions. Maybe they should be more aggressive in their marketing, but that’s just not the British way.
No tools are perfect, but Micro Focus have established their position by being better than the rest, and by constantly improving. Again, despite what they tell you, the grass isn’t greener on the Tricentis side.
Lots of Micro Focus Customers are on Old Versions
It’s important to note here, a stagging number of existing Micro Focus customers are on old releases. These customers often feel they are missing out. A simple upgrade to the latest release would fix this and allow them to benefit from all these improvements.
Tricentis are Obsessed Because Micro Focus Have So Many Loyal Customers
Tricentis are obsessed with Micro Focus – 373 mentions on their website – because Micro Focus have so many loyal and well-established customers.
Micro Focus have spent years building fantastic products and developing a huge user base. Tricentis want to prize those customers away by capitalising on basic human psychology.
Could Micro Focus spend more to get their message out? Let their loyal user base know about developments and updates? Absolutely. But this information is out there through other channels…
How to Stay Up to Date With Micro Focus Developments
If you want to keep up to date with the latest Micro Focus information, why not subscribe to the Calleo mailing list…
