Focus Area: Software-as-Service

Home \| About Us \| News \| Contact Us \| New User Registration
	Research-based Market Strategy Consulting

Focus Area: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

Saugatuck's Software-as-a-Service research and consulting practice focuses on the rise of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) as an alternative software delivery and business model. Our research shows that companies are attracted to SaaS as a strategy to cut costs, improve service delivery and faster RIO through faster implementations. In some cases, it also reflects a desire by users to shift expenditures from the cap-ex budget to the op-ex category.

Software-as-a-Service represents a significant disruptive force for the IT industry. Among the most important challenges for both net-native start-ups bringing new innovation to market as well as established players adding SaaS to their portfolio of offerings are significant go-to-market issues, internal management issues and investor management issues.

Earlier research published by Saugatuck in 2003 and 2004 suggested that large enterprises would lead SaaS adoption through 2005. However, recent research indicates that SMB executives now see SaaS as “ready for prime time,” and are convinced that SaaS is a viable business-critical platform. This is especially true for back-end database driven applications such as human resources, financials/ERP, CRM and various collaboration requirements (e.g., eMail), as well as highly distributed applications such as sales force automation and field support.

Representative Consulting Engagements

	Buyer adoption forecasts and profiles by segment
	Purchase decision criteria, process and priorities
	Competitive and market assessments
	The intersection of SaaS, SOA and Open Source
	The intersection of SaaS and BPO
	Emerging pricing and licensing models
	The impact and role of advertising-supported SaaS
	Emerging SaaS aggregation platforms
	Market opportunity analysis and targeting
	Market positioning and messaging for both vertical and horizontal segments
	Emerging business model considerations, including valuation and product/positioning transitions

Relevant links to Published Saugatuck Research Topics

	Business Applications
	Emerging Trends / Technologies
	IT Ecosystem
	Open Source
	Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
	The IT Utility
	Web Services / SOA


	Featured Research Reports The Many Faces of Virtualization: Understanding a New IT Reality Comprehensive 20-page study providing topology of the rapidly-evolving world of IT virtualization, from servers to mainframes, to applications to storage to network – as well as key strategic planning positions about its future evolution. Click here to find out more Open Source: The Next Disruptive IT Influence Comprehensive study tracking the evolution of open source across three distinct waves of adoption, including a scenario for how it will likely evole. Supported by w/w web survey research , 2 dozen user interviews and 17 deep-dive vendor briefings. Click here to find out more Three Waves of Change: SaaS Beyond the Tipping Point The second wave of SaaS as a next-generation business platform is already here: users are already utilizing SaaS for transaction and collaboration marketplaces, and we’re starting to see a proliferation of SaaS ecosystems. Click here to find out more C-Team Research: Growth and Innovation Driving the Global Business Agenda While the pace of economic expansion will moderate in 2007, growth and innovation is clearly on the minds of the 443 senior business, finance and IT executives recently surveyed by Saugatuck Technology and BusinessWeek Research Services. Click here to find out more __________

Home | About Us | Contact Us