Outlook, the most flexible enterprise SaaS e-mail client

There you have it;  good example of Software + Services … Microsoft Outlook is a locally installed software applications which, also according to this research the most flexible enterprise “SaaS” application.

The big distiction of Microsoft Exchange (Online) against the other Exchange “competitors” is the fact that Exchange offers choice in clients :

1. Microsoft Outlook

2. Windows MObile / iPhone / Nokia via ActiveSync

3. Outlook Web Access (Via Webbrowser)

… Cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS) has been getting some bad press lately. In an interview last month Richard Stallman said “If you use a proprietary program or somebody else's web server, you're defenceless. You're putty in the hands of whoever developed that software." This should be a concern for any enterprise considering SaaS. A SaaS provider can be just as proprietary as any software vendor.

In our recent enterprise SaaS e-mail report we addressed this concern and concluded Microsoft Outlook is the most flexible enterprise SaaS e-mail client available. The reason: Outlook can be used with three of the major SaaS e-mail services we expect to see in the very near future (Microsoft, Cisco/PostPath, and Zimbra/Yahoo). By supporting Outlook these vendors can provide a near seamless transition from on-premises to SaaS e-mail. Since there is no need to sell a new e-mail user interface the business case for making the switch is simpler. …

 

Source: Outlook, the most flexible enterprise SaaS e-mail client

Gartner : “Cloud=SaaS”

Every hype comes with a list of buzzwords. Depending on the speaker / audience / knowledge, etc. these terms are often randomly applied in discussions, presnetations and publications :

… The term "cloud computing" is being loosely applied and defined differently, and it's creating a lot of confusion in the market, according to Gartner, Inc. Analysts say it is imperative to understand these different perspectives and set the proper expectations to obtain the anticipated benefits.

Gartner defines cloud computing as a style of computing in which massively scalable IT-related capabilities are provided "as a service" using Internet technologies to multiple external customers. However, there have been different perceptions of what is included in cloud computing.

"The term cloud computing has come to mean two very different things: a broader use that focuses on 'cloud,' and a more-focused use on system infrastructure and virtualization," said David Mitchell Smith, vice president and Gartner Fellow. "Mixing the discussion of 'cloud-enabling technologies' with 'cloud computing services' creates confusion." …

Read on : Gartner.com

Forrester: SaaS Success Takes Careful Consideration

Forrester warns that also Saas is not a ‘holy grail’ …

… Adoption of software-as-a-service (SaaS) is on the rise across businesses of all sizes. As SaaS solutions become larger, more flexible, and more complex, IT professionals are getting more involved in customizing them as well as integrating them with legacy applications. The increase in vendors, applications, and integration possibilities means increased concerns about interoperability, security, and support. Infrastructure and operations pros can alleviate these worries by working with the sourcing team to evaluate and compare SaaS solutions before signing any contracts. …

SaaS Success Takes Careful Consideration

IDC : IT Cloud Services User Survey: Crossing the Chasm

IDC recently conducted a survey of 244 IT executives/CIOs and their line-of-business (LOB) colleagues about their companies’ use of, and views about, IT Cloud Services.

… As part of our ongoing research into Cloud Computing,  

This specific post looks at the current and future adoption of a variety of IT offerings delivered as cloud services.  (Subsequent posts will look at users’ perceptions of the key benefits and challenges of IT cloud services, as well as what they want most from suppliers of IT cloud services.)

Current and Future IT Cloud Services Adoption

We asked our survey participants to characterize the current and future usage - on a scale from 1 (none) to 5 (widespread) - of a variety of IT cloud services within their organizations.  The chart below shows the percentage of respondents whose organizations are toward the higher end (4 or 5) of the usage scale, and/or will be there in three years. 

Check source for addtional info

Source: IT Cloud Services User Survey: Crossing the Chasmfgens
Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:06:51 GMT

ReadWriteWeb: 10 Promising Web Platforms

 ReadWriteWeb has an interesting overview of what they call the 10 Promising Web Platforms. Live Mesh is one of them … Glad to see LIve Mesh is perceived as waht it is : a Platform and not a product for file sync …

… 5. Live Mesh: Microsoft's Multi-device Platform

The new Live Mesh service launched in April as an invite only "technology preview". It is Microsoft's attempt to tie all of our data together. Live Mesh synchronizes data across multiple devices (currently just Windows computers, but theoretically it will extend to mobile and other devices in the future) as well as to a web desktop that exists in the cloud. It can sync data across devices used by a single users, as well as create shared spaces for multiple users. On the surface, Mesh is a lot like competing file sync services such as Dropbox, SugarSync (which we covered in January), and even Microsoft's own FolderShare product. But what sets Live Mesh apart is its platform approach. ….

Source: 10 Promising Web Platforms

Forrester: SharePoint Shoots For The Cloud

Forrester has a good piece on SharePoint Online. A solution that will fuel the growth of SharePoint tremendously in the coming years …

When is SharePoint not like SharePoint? When it's SharePoint Online, part of Microsoft's recently announced Microsoft Online Services offering. Unlike Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007 — a full-blown collaboration platform with collaboration, content management, business intelligence, portal, search, and application development facilities — SharePoint Online offers only basic collaboration capabilities.

That said, SharePoint Online could be perfect for your organization. If your organization is looking for commoditized collaboration and business content management services, then take a close look at SharePoint Online.

Alternatively, if you're looking to build differentiated solutions for knowledge workers, then consider taking the full MOSS plunge. To assess which offering best fits you, start by mapping your requirements using Forrester's research on IT archetypes.

Source: SharePoint Shoots For The Cloud

Forrester: Database-As-A-Service Explodes On The Scene

Many developments on the database front. Also Microsoft is betting big on these developments …

Enterprises must support hundreds or even thousands of applications to meet growing business demands, but this growth is dramatically driving up the cost of running and managing the databases under those applications. The stress this puts on the IT budget makes it harder to provide databases to support new requirements such as Web 2.0 applications or other emerging collaboration solutions or even to support more mundane uses such as increased application testing.

A new emerging option called database-as-a-service (DaaS) hosts databases in the cloud and is a good fit for some new apps. Amazon, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, and Saleforce.com as well as small innovators such as EnterpriseDB, LongJump, and Elastra are all targeting the DaaS market.

Although most of today's DaaS solutions are very simple, in the next two to three years, more sophisticated offerings will evolve to support larger and more complex apps. Therefore, application development professionals should consider DaaS for some applications today and plan to expand its scope of use as DaaS offerings' capabilities expand.

Source: Database-As-A-Service Explodes On The Scene

Forrester's SaaS Maturity Model

Maturity models are everywhere these days. Back in the 90’s when I worked at EDS we already used a Desktop Management Maturity Model which was derived from teh Capability Maturity Model. In 2000, when I worked at Emeritor a Procurement consulting and eProcurement vendor, we developed the Procurement Maturity Model. Now at Microsoft we use the Infrastructure Optimization Model. I’m sure there are 100’s more out there. In itsself maybe not rocket science, they do provide a good context to the specific topic as to what good and what needs improvement or who’s leading and why.

Now Forrester has its SaaS Maturity Model focused on CRM solutions …

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) is the hottest trend in both CRM and the small and midsize business (SMB) market in general. While SaaS appears to be a threat to software vendors with traditional perpetual-license models, it is also an opportunity for competitive advantage. The question is how independent software vendors and service providers can capitalize on this opportunity. Forrester's SaaS maturity model provides an assessment of the solutions and underpins our guidance on realistic strategy transformation for those software vendors and services providers considering a SaaS business model. Targeting the highest maturity level is not necessarily the best fit for every vendor.

Source: Forrester's SaaS Maturity Model

Forrester: Open Text Makes A DAM SaaS-y Move

Open Text has acquired eMotion, a SaaS based Digital Asset Management solution. Combined with the OPenText platform a good Software + Services example I would say …

… Open Text announced late last week that it has acquired eMotion, a software-as-a-service digital asset management (DAM) product, from Corbis. Open Text plans to rebrand eMotion as Artesia on Demand for Marketing, complementing its full-featured, installed Artesia DAM product.

This move into SaaS DAM is a smart move by Open Text. The installed version of Artesia has a reputation as one of the top DAM solutions out there, but its functionality and price tag may be daunting for those organizations just starting to dip their toes into the DAM waters. Some enterprises don't have the need for some of the high-end functionality - management of broadcast-quality video, for example - that "Classic Artesia" offers. Instead, many enterprises exploring DAM want to use it to manage rich media assets for use in the online channel. …

Source: Open Text Makes A DAM SaaS-y Move

TechWorld - Gartner: 'Impact Security-as-a-Service enorm'

Het probleem met ‘SaaS’ is dat het een beetje een doel op zich lijkt te worden. Als er maar ‘SaaS’  voorstaat is het nieuw. “Beveiliging zal op nieuwe manieren en door nieuwe spelers worden aangeboden”  staat er in het artikel. Natuurlijk komen er nieuwe spelers, maar er zijn ook al veel bestaande oplossingen voor bijvoorbeeld anti-virus / anti-spam die al jaren als dienst worden aangeboden. Zelfs in de tijd dat ‘SaaS’ nog niet ‘Sexy’ was …

Een goed voorbeeld dicht bij huis is Exchange Hosted Services :

• Exchange Hosted Filtering
  Active content, connection, policy-based filtering and multi-engine spam and virus scanning with low false positive ratios and e-mail queuing when server is unavailable.
• Exchange Hosted Archive
  Support to help satisfy industry and regulatory retention requirements, with fully-functional backup, rapid search and retrieval, and pre-archive spam filtering.
• Exchange Hosted Continuity
  Accessible e-mail during and after network outages, with a searchable 30-day rolling message store for easy recovery.
• Exchange Hosted Encryption
  Policy-based encryption from sender to recipient with an intuitive interface that requires minimal end user training.

SaaS gaat de security-industrie flink op zijn kop zetten, zo voorspelt marktvorser Gartner in een rapport. Beveiliging zal op nieuwe manieren en door nieuwe spelers worden aangeboden.

De marktvorser verwacht dat het aandeel cloudgebaseerde diensten op sommige deelgebieden de komende jaren zal verdrievoudigen. Gartner noemt als voorbeeld de beveiliging van het berichtenverkeer, zoals het filteren van malware en spam uit e-mail en instant messaging. In 2008 zullen cloudgebaseerde diensten hier 20 procent van de omzet voor hun rekening nemen. In 2013 zal dit aandeel zijn gestegen naar 60 procent.
Volgens Gartner wordt het voor nieuwe spelers makkelijker om in de beveiligingsmarkt te stappen. Dit komt mede doordat het leveringsmodel flexibeler is af te stemmen op de wensen van de consument. Wel vragen sommige beveiligingfuncties, zoals vulnerability scanning en log management, om een ingrijpende aanpassing van de eigen infrastructuur. …

Bron: Gartner: 'Impact Security-as-a-Service enorm'