Summer has really settled in here in the Boston area, where we've been having a heat-wave for the past week that matches the red-hot nature of the SaaS and broader cloud computing market today.
Despite the efforts of some lingering skeptics to throw coldwater on the SaaS and cloud computing movement, it is continuing to take root among organizations of all sizes, across every industry, as well as the public sector.
An illustration of the growing interest and adoption of SaaS and cloud computing in the government sector, for instance, was a recent Public Sector Xchange conference where I spoke last month. (Read more below.)
In the coming weeks, I'm participating in a hosting conference and executive event where much of the talk will be about the transformation of the software and technology industry by SaaS and cloud computing. (See the Events section of this newsletter below for my details.)
I also continue to conduct numerous strategy sessions with a wide range of clients seeking to capitalize on the business benefits of this rapidly evolving market. These sessions include:
IT and business decision-makers within large-scale enterprises, as well as small- and mid-size businesses (SMBs), who are trying to better understand how they can capitalize on SaaS and cloud computing to achieve their corporate objectives.
Established vendors who are trying to migrate to SaaS and cloud computing models without dramatically disrupting their existing operations.
And, a widening array of start-ups and other new players who are trying to attack a variety of market opportunities.
As I reported in the previous issue of the SaaS Showplace newsletter, this marketplace is quickly evolving to respond to customers' escalating expectations and sort out the 'cloud rush' proliferation of players entering the market.
I recently had the privilege of delivering the keynote presentation which examined these trends and kicked off CIO Magazine's Cloud Computing Virtual Conference. You can find an archived version of this presentation here.
I'm pleased that THINKstrategies' perspectives regarding these trends are considered of value by a growing array of audiences. Most recently, I've been asked to become a contributing blogger on Internet Evolution.
The SaaS Showplace and our newsletter mailing list also continue to grow, reflecting the rapidly evolving marketplace. The Showplace includes over 1300 companies offering SaaS and cloud computing solutions across 80 application, industry and enabling technology areas. And, we have added over 200 new subscribers to the newsletter, bring the total to more than 12,900!
We are also continuing to recognize SaaS and cloud computing companies who are delivering measurable business benefits to their customers. I'm particularly excited about our most recent and first African-based Best of SaaS Showplace (BoSS) Award winner. You can read about the South African company's award winning capabilities, as well as other BoSS and Cloud Computing Business Value (CCBV) Award program winners below.
Also, check out our recent Strategic Thinking Profile on Cloud9 Analytics, which is redefining traditional approaches to business intelligence and analytics. And, you can read more about how SaaS and cloud computing are changing the nature of data mining and knowledge management below.
You can find other perspectives, profiles, primers, podcasts, webinars and whitepapers regarding today's SaaS and cloud computing trends and best practices on the SaaS Showplace.
I hope this newsletter is valuable and helps you better understand the business implications of the SaaS and cloud computing movement.
Please contact me if you'd like to learn more about how you can leverage the SaaS Showplace, as well as THINKstrategies' educational and consulting services to achieve your business objectives.
Despite the growing success of SaaS which has spawned the broader market Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and other cloud computing services, there are still a surprising number of corporate executives, industry analysts, journalists and others who continue to question the viability of the 'on-demand' services alternatives.
THINKstrategies believes cloud computing is not only becoming a mainstream movement, but a combination of rising customer expectations and escalating competitive pressures are forcing a growing number of cloud vendors to substantially improve the quality, reliability and accountability of their services to ensure they are delivering meaningful business benefits. THINKstrategies refers to this new stage in the market evolution, "Cloud 2.0".
Click here to read our views about the realities of today's SaaS and cloud computing market.
Public Sector Cloud Trends
While the Obama administration in the U.S. has been struggling to find its footing in many areas, it has made a firm stand promoting the value of SaaS and cloud computing as a centerpiece of its efforts to modernize and better manage the cost of government. In fact, it recently announced a freeze on new spending on 30 financial systems to determine if they could benefit from SaaS/cloud computing alternatives.
In June, I had an opportunity to speak to a group of traditional value-added resellers (VARs) and systems integrators (SIs) at the Public Sector Xchange conference about the market opportunities and challenges associated with today's 'on-demand' services. Click here to read more about THINKstrategies' perspective regarding these opportunities and challenges.
THINKstrategies has produced an online presentation regarding the rapidly evolving role for channel companies in the SaaS and cloud computing market. This presentation is a part of a series which we are producing about today's SaaS and Cloud Computing trends. The other two presentations are,
These presentations are powered by Brainshark, an easy-to-use online presentation creation and distribution platform.
Click here to read more perspectives about the SaaS and cloud computing market.
Contact me if you'd like to discuss the implications of these trends, or to learn more about how THINKstrategies' services can help you achieve your business objectives.
How Cloud Computing and Social Networks Target Knowledge Management and Business Analytics
For decades, organizations have faced ongoing challenges capturing, disseminating and interpreting critical corporate information from dispersed sources.
THINKstrategies has found numerous examples of ways that SaaS and cloud computing are enabling organizations to finally overcome these major challenges.
Click here to read our perspective about how cloud computing is addressing the knowledge management challenge.
You can also click here to read about how organizations are leveraging SaaS-based solutions to solve their business analytics needs.
And, click here to see how social networking capabilities are becoming embedded into enterprise applications.
Contact us if you'd like to discuss how your organization can capitalize on these trends.
We are particularly proud of our most recent BoSS Award and first Africa-based winner, Post Vision Technology's Project Portfolio Office. Click here to read more about the South African company's impressive SaaS capabilities and the unique benefits it is generating for its customers.
Click here to read about other BoSS award winners, and to learn more about the ongoing awards program, the nomination process and selection criteria.
You can also click here to learn more about the CCBV Awards program or to nominate a cloud vendor.
Contact us if you have any questions about these awards programs, or if you would like to obtain a copy of the nomination questionnaires.
Upcoming SaaS/Cloud Events
THINKstrategies is participating in and promoting the following SaaS and Cloud Computing conferences and other events in July:
Contact us if you'd like to discuss ways you can include THINKstrategies' perspective and gain our promotional suppport for your industry or corporate event.
SaaS Primers for CIOs and IT Solution Providers
Despite growing customer demand for SaaS, THINKstrategies has found many aspiring providers of these on-demand services are still struggling to win a share of the market because of a variety of challenges.
The primer is based on THINKstrategies' extensive experience working with vendors making this transition. We have offered Readiness Assessment Services since 2007, aimed at helping aspiring SaaS vendors develop and execute their go-to-strategies, service delivery capabilities, and sales processes.
Since the launch of these services, we have worked with a wide array of aspiring SaaS companies, ranging from start-ups to major software vendors migrating to SaaS. Click here to see a partial list of our vendor clients.
We also work with IT/business decision-makers within large-scale enterprises, as well as small- and mid-size businesses (SMBs), who need help evaluating their SaaS needs and selecting the SaaS suppliers to satisfy their requirements. Click here to read our primer for CIOs considering SaaS.
Contact us to explore how THINKstrategies' services can help you achieve your business objectives.
Support the Pan-Mass Challenge Ride to Fight Cancer
THINKstrategies is committed to combating important social and healthcare challenges.
Please consider supporting this terrific cause and help us fight cancer by generating funds to support research and prevention. Click here to make a contribution.
Become a SaaS Showplace Sponsor
THINKstrategies'SaaS Showplace has become the largest and highest ranked online directory and best practices resource center in the SaaS market.
The SaaS Showplace is attracting a growing number of IT/network and business decision-makers, IT solution providers, investors and the press who are discovering the value of our SaaS online directory and resource center.
Contact us at info@thinkstrategies.com if you'd like to gain greater industry visibility via our online directories and increasingly popular e-newsletter.
About THINKstrategies, Inc.
THINKstrategies is the leading strategic consulting services company focused specifically on the unprecedented business challenges facing IT managers, solutions providers and investors today as the technology industry shifts from a product-centric to a services-driven orientation.
The company's mission is to educate organizations about the on-demand services market--including SaaS, cloud computing and managed services--and help our clients capitalize on these trends to achieve their business objectives. We help enterprise decision-makers with their sourcing strategies, IT solutions providers with their marketing strategies, and VCs with their investment strategies.
