11 Feb 2009

SaaS a 'force' in the industry

Businesses adopting software-as-a-service (SaaS) can reap the benefits of increased customer attraction, according to industry specialists.

Recent research conducted by THINKstrategies and Cutter Consortium reveals 63 per cent of organisations are utilising the model, with a satisfaction rate of 97 per cent.

"SaaS is a dominant, disruptive and transformational force in the software industry today. SaaS breaks software entry and cost barriers for users and helps vendors penetrate markets and gain loyal and renewable customers," says Errol James, president of IT services firm Trigent.

Firms making the move to the platform will need to rethink business strategy and consider operation, infrastructure and security, according to Trigent's director of technology Chella Palaniappan.

He also recommends organisations analyse how best to monetise services to ensure successful SaaS implementation.

An added advantage of the service is the constant availability of business-critical information, claims John Paterson, chief executive officer of Really Simple Systems.