“big benefit as long as you’re willing to do a lot of customization and integration” is bang on. If you believe there are enough individual buyers or micro markets that behave like early adopters even if the market as a whole has shifted, you’re also probably in good shape.

For example, take a market that I’ve spend some time in: CRM. It is my contention that the market for CRM software as a whole has moved into the early majority phase, particularly in the large enterprise space. Siebel, the market leader, certainly understands this and behaves accordingly. I don’t see how the sizing data, overall breadth and scope of the supporting value networks, and the cumulative market cap of all the players in the space (even considering the miserable performance some of the smaller players are turning in) can lead you to any other conclusion.

This means that most customers now buy like majority buyers. It also means that potential go-to-market partners will affiliate into value networks according to majority-like criteria as well.