Almost five years ago, Bill Gates warned Microsoft about the significant challenge to the company and industry posed by the advent of SaaS. While the new business model has yet to fully reach the gains predicted for it back then, the momentum is building. An ever-accelerating number of traditional perpetual-license software companies are readying SaaS products or have already quietly released them. In the process, a lot has been learned about the magnitude of the change that is SaaS. As company after company has discovered, often painfully, SaaS is not a trivial undertaking. Designing and building a SaaS app is hard. Achieving and sustaining profitability as a SaaS company can be an even greater challenge.
The 2009 Report of The SaaS & Support Project described alarming vulnerabilities in on-demand company organizational structure and operation for profitability in the SaaS era. Who really “owns” the ongoing customer relationship? What metrics should be applied to measure performance? Which revenue conduits are most appropriate, and how can they be made scalable? Which roles should be assigned where in the overall organizational process for maximum effect? In 2010, the Project will continue its research into these and related issues through the methodology of online surveys, in-depth assessments, online forum conversations and direct interviews.
The findings of the Project in 2010 will be shared in a series of Executive Briefings and covered by articles here on The HotLine Magazine over the course of the year. A comprehensive Report will be published in late fall. There will also be several webinars and professional conference presentations along the way. Advisory clients and sponsoring companies will receive direct updates on developments as the research proceeds. Individuals who join the Project will have access to the special Member Library here which will include resources such as example job descriptions, organizational charts, case studies, compensation plans, process maps, etc., as they are developed from the research. (For membership information, click here.) There are ongoing discussions in The SaaS & Support Forum and in the private Project members area on LinkedIn.
Three leading professional groups, The Association of Support Professionals (ASP), the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) and TechAmerica have returned along with OpSource, a major cloud operations company, as continuing sponsors of The SaaS & Support Project for 2010. (Other companies interested in participation and sponsorship opportunities are invited to contact Mikael Blaisdell.)
Questions
The various search engines of the Internet bring visitors to The HotLine Magazine around the clock from locations all over the world. The search strings / questions being asked show a lively interest in all things SaaS, and often are added to the research efforts of the Project. Direct questions about issues of concern are welcome, and may be submitted via Letters to The Editor. While an individual reply isn’t possible in every case, your input will help shape the course of the Project and may well inspire future articles.
