SIIA: Software & Information Industry Association

By Bill Loss, CEO, WebApps, Inc. a.k.a. SaaShr.com

Delivering Human Capital Management solutions under a SaaS model to the SMB market, we’ve recently stepped up our mobile strategy as a result of the competitive landscape. One interesting aspect to the mobile strategy challenge is the software industry is lumping “mobile” into one bucket, but from our perspective there are really two distinct buckets – the smart phone and the tablet. Given the inherent differences in screen real estate, decisions around the volume of data and number and complexity of functions allowed can greatly impact development efforts.

Equally challenging, is the decision to go browser-based or leverage a fat client architecture where code resides on the device itself. In the case of Android, we understand it’s easier to load apps directly to the app store as a result of a more limited verification process, so a fat client architecture might be preferred. In the case of iOS, frequent update cycles appear to be more difficult because in some cases we’ve heard it could take months to get the latest version of an app approved. Additionally, from an architectural perspective, we believe Apple restricts dynamic communication between the server and the device itself, in that some core functions which are better off residing on the server side may very well need to be coded on the fat client. These limitations can add complexity to an organization’s mobile strategy and may create a tug-of-war between whether fat client or browser-based is a better longer-term direction.

For many organizations, including ours, these are just some of the device/platform challenges which can potentially impact app compatibility and acceptance within the marketplace. With the goal of minimizing our internal R&D investment, events like All About Mobile help assist in identifying the appropriate subset of core functionality to deploy, when, and to what device and/or platform.

“Navigating the Cloud” is a series of webinars to help software publishers combat the challenges associated with delivering software applications as a service in the cloud. Co-presented by Forrester, IDC, SafeNet and Saugatuck Technology, the webcast series educates software publishers on best practices for software monetization in the cloud, including service catalog definition and management, usage authorization and metering, business process optimization, and more.

Finding Success in SaaS
August 17, 2010, 1pm EDT

Adapting at Cloud Speed
September 9, 2010, 1pm EDT

Cloudy with a Chance of Insight
October 7, 2010, 1pm EDT

Lucrative Pricing and Packaging Strategies for the Cloud
November 4, 2010, 1pm EDT

Making the Transition: Your Journey into the Cloud Defined
December 13, 2010, 1pm EDT

For more details and to register, visit: http://www.safenet-inc.com/NavigateTheCloud

For most Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), discussion on the Cloud has moved from “whether” to “when and how.” On paper, at least, there’s little question of the value of the Cloud, which promises to facilitate the development process, streamline delivery, and closely align investment with revenue. The allure is also felt by enterprise customers, who are attracted to the cloud as a flexible, low-maintenance delivery model.

But as is usually the case, there’s a large gulf between concept and implementation. For start- ups and companies looking to add software to their product portfolios, launching a successful cloud delivery model requires a solid business plan that includes development, production, and go-to-market approaches. For well-established ISVs, the challenge is no less daunting. They may find that adopting the new delivery model requires far more time, money, and research than anticipated – and that it can disrupt business processes far beyond the development. Yet, the risk of taking no action is as great as the risk of taking the wrong action. How, then, can ISVs successfully integrate the Cloud into their businesses?

In this paper, Stratecast examines the fragmented and still evolving cloud-based Software as a Service market. We look at the pitfalls and benefits to ISVs, along with considerations to guide the decision to enter the cloud. Finally, we look at the IBM SaaS Specialty Program as a high-value option for helping ISVs build and execute a SaaS strategy.

Clickability Case Study Presenter:
Tom Cignarella, VP of TechOps

NaviSite Case Study: Jeff Johnson and William Toll will discuss a contract for an enterprise SaaS provider that required the development of agreements that spanned multiple internal business groups. The demands on NaviSite’s SLA’s were not only difficult to manage, but also difficult to measure. You’ll hear how they negotitated and delivered on the SLA’s required to close the opportunity and manage their ongoing service needs.

Clickability Case Study: Clickability, the global leader in on demand Web Content Management delivers mission critical web sites for a wide range of customers. VP of Technical Operations and Support, Tom Cignarella will discuss the SLA’s in place to satisfy these customers. Tom will review the background for creating the SLA’s for system availability and support, challenges faced and how it has been successfully implemented.

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Registration for the 4th annual SIIA OnDemand Europe conference is officially open. Register now to save with early-bird rates and save even more with our corporate registration packages. Once you register you can begin your networking right away by joining the conference LinkedIn Group. Don’t forget to join the conversation early on twitter using the hashtag #ode10.

Today’s software vendors face a new kind of challenge: how to prepare their businesses to meet new software delivery models that are adding layers of complexity onto the already-complicated processes of financing, producing and billing for software licenses and related maintenance and services fees. Whether your business is SaaS, on-premise, or navigating the two, this webinar will cover the strategies you can use across finance, sales, service, and IT to maximize your company’s business performance.

Speakers:
Laura Sachar, General Partner, StarVest Partners
Paul Turner, Director, NetSuite
Jim Holtzman, CFO, FieldGlass

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You can still view tons of video footage, content and slide decks from last year. Just visit the OnDemand Europe 2009 Presentations page.

You’ll find footage of the keynote presentations by Zach Nelson of NetSuite, John Wookey of SAP, Adrian Joseph of Google, and dozens of other presenters and panelists!

We’re thrilled to launch this year’s “Call for Speakers” for OnDemand Europe! To apply for a speaking slot, enter your email address and follow the instructions here.

The deadline is June 22nd!

Written by Anita Moorthy, Novell
Submitted by Novell

Organizations that purchase SaaS products want these solutions to provide audit tracking, single sign-on, and provisioning capabilities. More than half of these organizations would also be more inclined to purchase a particular SaaS solution if it allowed them to use their existing identity management system.

That’s what Novell discovered when they recently conducted a survey of 1,000 large to very large enterprises in the US & Canada as well as 83 qualified SaaS providers. They also discovered, however, that SaaS providers are divided on how best to meet the needs of these clients.

A third of the SaaS vendors we surveyed, for example, suggested that they would attempt to meet the needs of their customers by developing this capability in-house. While that is certainly an option, and these are software vendors after all, there are numerous problems with this approach.

The biggest problem is that customers will bring a variety of identity management solutions to the relationship which will require SaaS providers to devote development resources to a never-ending cycle of customization. It also creates the need for ongoing support of these customized solutions.

Finally, since the development and integration of identity and auditing systems are not going to be the core competency of the SaaS providers, getting into this game means they just aren’t “sticking to their knitting.”

As it turns out, the majority of SaaS providers appreciate these problems, which is why at least half of those Novell surveyed would prefer that someone else take care of it. The two most popular options they would consider are OEMing through a third-party or sourcing through their hosting vendor.

These options are certainly viable and make more sense then going the “build it ourselves” route. Nevertheless, they do present their own challenges.

On the OEM side, SaaS providers will need to find a vendor whose offering integrates both with their software as well as the client’s identity infrastructure with a minimum of customization in every new instance or engagement. At the same time, the OEM/SaaS provider partnership needs to be strong enough so that customer support is never an issue.

Customization and support could also be a limiting factor if SaaS providers choose to meet this client demand via their hosting solution, but this still may be their best bet.

Identity management is essentially an infrastructure function and is becoming more so. Since contemporary hosting tends to be moving towards infrastructure as a service, it’s more likely that these providers will have the technical expertise to integrate identity as a service into there offerings and will have a definite stake in supporting it into the future.

Moreover, it is in the interest of hosting providers to add identity management and related capabilities to their arsenal for the simple reason that it will make them a much more attractive partner to SaaS providers. Hosting is a non-trivial component of the SaaS purchasing decision so the more robust the hosting solution, the better.

If you are considering SaaS alternatives, do you care how your provider solves the identity management challenge?

Analysts have frequently cited integration as the #1 obstacle faced by Cloud and SaaS providers as buyers are no longer willing to bear the burden of the extensive IT and development resources required to connect to your application. Join Cloud industry experts from Boomi and Saugatuck Technology to explore best practices to ensure you aligned with the integration needs of your customers, and able to deliver an integration strategy that is scalable as you grow your business. Learn more about the following road map for success:

-API Design and Best Practices
-Meeting the needs of complex SaaS and on-premise integration scenarios with a flexible integration platform
-Productizing repeatable integrations

Speakers:
Mike West, Vice President, Saugatuck Technologies
Rick Nucci, CTO & Co-Founder, Boomi
Richard Broome, VP Operations, Host Analytics
Keri Brooke, VP Product Marketing, Host Analytics