The old school software industry is under huge economic, cyclical and competitive pressure. Dogs growl and bite when backed into corners. Some comments I have been reading on recent posts about SaaS are highlighting the pressure which is now extending to CIO’s and CFO’s. These key decision makers are having to decide whether to keep paying big license fees to old school software companies in the face of much cheaper, safer and more reliable SaaS offerings. It causes decision stress I’m sure. In my opinion the smart ones are researching the topic and going to SaaS.
A recent survey by searchCIO.com saw some suggestion that SaaS might be fad like by a commentator. I would never consider SaaS being fad like due to the clear dependency many off us already have on the SaaS offerings such as online banking and online e-mail.
Here’s another 170 billion dollar reason SaaS isn’t fad like - Google. The world’s biggest SaaS utility.
I don’t know about you but Google has never sent me any software disks or cd’s. I’m pretty damn sure I sign into their servers with lots of other people at the same time (multi-tenant) from anywhere in the world (online) via a web browser. They maintain and backup my stuff (service). They upgrade their online applications without making me put a CD in my PC (service). This is SaaS plain and simple. They are a utitlity that I buy (or get for free) my software from, as a service.
Thanks to Ben at Diversity. His colleague, Paul made comment on that article which contained the flickr of SaaS resistance. It was spot on. Sorry I mean’t “flicker” not “flickr”.
p.s. Flickr.com is a SaaS photo album I use. Check it out, it’s very cool. They do all the backups, burn CD’s for me and and provide private access to my albums for my family and friends for less than $30 a year. Access, security, distribution, backups, upgrades are all part of your typical SaaS offering.
Time to clock off.
p.p.s if you need a SaaS Bundy Clock and Time Tracking system then check out 88miles.net (they just built a Saasu connector). If you sign up to both Saasu.com and 88miles.net then I’ll make sure you get a free three month Saasu.com subscription extension.
