Ask any economist, and you'll likely hear the same response:  as markets mature, consolidation tends to occur.  So, while it's big news, it's not necessarily surprising to hear today's announcement that Blackbaud is purchasing Convio.  These two publicly traded corporations have been in the non-profit technology space for a long time, and I congratulate their boards on coming to such an important agreement.

Now, let's get to the real business at hand:  what can be done now to ensure technology service prices go down, not up, in an era of mega consolidation?  Our answer:  a fresh approach with a dose of healthy competition.