Cloud computing is about delivering massively scalable IT-enabled capabilities as service to external customers using Internet technologies, it is not another term for SaaS. It is a broad technological concept where some types of SaaS could qualify for cloud computing. Also, not all SaaS solutions leverage cloud-based computing.
Decreasing bandwidth costs and the high total cost of ownership (hardware and licenses along with sustenance), has made this trend worth exploring in some of the markets. In More»

Labels: cloud computing, saas

Chris Lindsay, head of British Telecom’s software-as-a-service division explains the benefits of the on-demand delivery model and how the current economic downturn could force firms to re-evaluate how they buy software.
As head of SaaS at BT business, can you explain how you are helping customers to improve their bottom line and become more efficient?
We’ve announced deals with both NetSuite, Sugar CRM, and most recently Salesforce.com. which is good timing, because what we’re trying to market are the capabilities that allow customers to focus more on their own customers, serve them better and sell More»

Labels: cloud computing, saas

Larry Ellison recently unleashed a tub-thumping tirade against cloud computing covered by Ben Worthen (with further comments from Daya Baran, Giva Perry and Dan Farber) . Here is a quote from Larry:
The interesting thing about cloud computing is that we’ve redefined cloud computing to include everything that we already do. I can’t think of anything that isn’t cloud computing… The computer industry is the only industry that is more fashion-driven than women’s fashion.
Now as usual with big whoppers told by people in fear of their checkbooks, Larry’s More»

Labels: cloud computing, oracle, saas

Last week in San Francisco, Orcale unveiled the company’s Cloud Computing solution. It includes partnerships with Intel to collaborate on technology and another with Amazon to run Oracle software on Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2).
Larry Ellison, Chairman, Founder and CEO of Oracle shared Oracles vision and opened the floor to questions. The first one question was: What is Oracle doing about cloud computing? Ellison smirked and then belted out his thoughts on cloud computing. Here’s a slightly edited excerpt as reported by the Wall Street Journal and Reuters.
“What the More»

Labels: cloud computing, oracle, saas

It seems that every day there’s a new way to market to your prospects online. “Use Facebook,” one person says. “Try Twitter,” says another. But then your CEO is asking, “Why aren’t we at the top of Google?”
How do you make sense of it all? Where do you focus your efforts?
As the founder of a search and social media marketing firm with SaaS clients, let me share some experience.
Why Search?
In a typical B2B purchase, as many as 22 people are involved1. One of the most important players is More»

Labels: saas, Search, seo, social media

General Electric has decided to forgo a partnership with Google and has formalized a strategic partnership with Zoho for its 400,000 desktops. GE made the decision after a vigorous evaluation of both products. ”GE is a master at taking costs out of established processes, they do it relentlessly and continuously and they know how to evaluate and manage the risk of working with start-ups. Where GE break a trail, others are likely to follow,” according to Bernard Lunn of ReadWriteWeb.
A GE spokesperson who did not want to be identified said their decision was based around More»

Labels: cloud computing, google, saas, Web Apps, zoho

Cisco today announced the acquisition of Jabber, a provider of presence and messaging software. 
The acquisition will enable Cisco to embed presence and messaging services “in the network” and provide rich aggregation capabilities to users through both on-premise and on-demand solutions, across multiple platforms including Cisco WebEx® Connect and Cisco Unified Communications said the company. 
Cisco has to find new markets fast as its core market for router is slowing down. Hence the company has been on a buying spree acquiring Webex, Postpath and now Jabber and tranforming itself into a software play. The company has formed More»

Labels: cisco, cloud computing, Collaboration, saas, webex

Amazon is planning to release a new service for content delivery by the end of the year. This new (and as yet unnamed) service will provide users with a high performance way to distribute popular, publicly readable content to customers all over the world, with low latency and high data transfer rates.
The new service was designed to meet the following goals:

Allow developers and businesses to get started easily, with no dollar or volume commitments. Like Amazon’s other pay-as-you-go services.
Be simple and easy to use. In fact, a single API call is all that’s needed More»

Labels: cloud computing, saas

Intuit has its eyes set on the software as a service (SaaS) market dominated by Salesforce.com, a move that will also take it into head on competition with Microsoft eventually.
Intuit announced a roadmap that boasted the Intuit Enterprise Suite, a set of on-demand applications that will link to QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions. “We want to have solutions that go significantly beyond accounting and bookkeeping,” said Angus Thomson, vice president and general manager of Intuit’s mid-market group, who added that the applications are being adapted to work with QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions that will provide a More»

Labels: cloud computing, paas, saas

Most Internet users know what Webmail is. Many are familiar with YouTube, or at least the concept of watching videos online. But how many of them understand that they those applications live in the clouds?
A new study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that the 69 percent of Internet users who tap into cloud-based applications generally don’t have much of an understanding of how those applications are actually provided to them.
They love the convenience and flexibility of being able to access the same content from any computer, but they have reservations More»

Labels: cloud computing, saas