CRM - January 2009 - (Page BPS2)

2 January 2009 CRM magazine Best Practices Series: Software-as-a-Service Newsflash: Most of you already use it. You may notice something seemingly odd as you read this special supplement to CRM magazine: The various solutions vendors only briefly mention the benefits of deploying software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings. These vendors prefer to concentrate on enumerating their own value propositions as tools for driving benefits to your business. According to Analyst Perspectives, 55 percent of businesses based in North America will have deployed at least one SaaS application by the end of 2008. Clearly, business acceptance of SaaS offerings has moved beyond the early-adoption phase. The three main drivers of SaaS adoption—low initial cost of ownership, speed of deployment, and low internal IT resource profile—make SaaS solutions attractive at any time, but even more so in times of recession, provided there is a bona fide business need and the initiative can reliably be expected to create additional revenue or save money. Aside from the technical benefits of these solutions, most industry pundits agree that a downturn in the economy focuses the spotlight on pay-as-you-go, low-upfront-investment business models simply due to decreased initial costs. The 33 percent growth rate in SaaS application expenditures may not continue through 2009, but SaaS will have a decidedly better chance of adoption versus on-premises software as businesses tighten their belts while trying to increase productivity and improve efficiencies. The most recent recession—lasting from 2001 to 2002—was the only one on record where productivity actually improved, arguably because of the massive investment in software made in the late 1990s. That recession also saw the concept of SaaS get a solid foothold as decision-makers were forced to consider new alternatives. As companies get used to outsourcing at least some of their IT infrastructure to SaaS vendors, the number of SaaS offerings will expand even further. Even vendors of traditional on-premises software are introducing their own SaaS offerings for smaller market segments—and, not incidentally, as a pathway to their more-robust on-premises solutions. Tough economic times may encourage low-risk alternatives to large investments—in fact, if industry forecasts can be believed, by 2012 nearly 30 percent of business software will be deployed and delivered via the SaaS model. Even so, not all vendors will find the traction to survive what may be a long wait for better financial circumstances. In the following pages of the section, you’ll find eight leading (but very different) providers telling their stories and explaining how they can help your company achieve its goals. Oh, and by the way—they’re all SaaS providers. Wishing you continued success, Bob Fernekees VP/Group Publisher CRM Media Information Today, Inc.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - January 2009

CRM - January 2009 Contents Front Office Feedback Reality Check Customer Centricity The Tipping Point The Shots Heard ’Round the World 30,000-Foot Views Of the Cloud Stuffing the Ballot Box— With Complaints The Marketing Line for ’09 CRM on Twitter Technology Helps Insurance Weather the Storm Required Reading The Google-ization of CRM The Feedback Funnel Email: What’s Inside? Shake Your Moneymakers Lead Sweet Lead Incentives at the Speed of Lightpath Sales Contentment for Content Management A Worthwhile Excursion Into Call Recording Secret of My Success Re:Tooling Connect Pint of View

CRM - January 2009

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