Saas - Leveraging an Integrated Business

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) delivery model is(SIPs) is based on Business Process Management
ushering in a new platform for business(BPM) and Service Orientated Architecture (SOA)
transformation, making enterprise software[Industry Term as SaaS 2.0] SaaS 2.0 has the
pervasive.potential of enabling SMBs to utilize flexible, secure,
SaaS delivery model can enable Small and Mediumscalable workflows with enhanced Service Level
Businesses (SMBs) to not only leverage IT forAgreement (SLA) and management visibility for
operational excellence but also benefit from improvedbusiness process monitoring and proactive Operational
business processes and performance. SaaS canRisk Management (ORM).
emerge as an Integrated Business ServiceBPM, combined with SOA for orchestrating web
Provisioning Platform as predicted by Saugatuckservices and Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)
Technology study. Enterprise software deliveryacross business process requirements on a
hitherto (on-premise model) has been characterizedbusiness-rules drives basis, can enable SMBs to
by high initial cost of adoption, additional cost ofleverage the potential of SaaS 2.0 to essentially
maintenance and commensurate issues of upgrades,transform their businesses. SaaS delivery involves
scalability, interoperability, etc in a constantly evolvingprovisioning of net-native, single instance, multiple
IT environment.tenancy or isolated tenancy software products in a
The burden of total cost of operation (TCO), longmanaged services infrastructure. Independent
cycles for return on investments (ROI), on-premiseSoftware Vendors (ISVs) are maneuvering in the
burden of enterprise software maintenance, alongdirection of SaaS-enabling their software products.
with the barriers in shifting to a different vendor, hasIndian Software Services Providers focused on
made it difficult for SMB to leverage the power ofOffshore Product Development (OPD) can provide
enterprise software.targeted services for re-architecting traditional
Evolution of hosted applications/commercial softwareapplications and software products onto SOA and
is a direction to address the need for a low TCO andBPM platform for SaaS delivery. Indian ISVs who
early ROI for SMBs. Commercially available enterprisealready have products based on SOA and BPM can
software made available by Application Softwarelook at verticalization of the products and providing
Providers (ASPs) has been a starting point to addressthese as SaaS solutions to Managed Services
these needs of SMBs. In the ASP model, enterpriseProviders (MSPs) for On Demand SaaS Solutions.
software has been made available on a one-to-oneIndian Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services
model (single instance, single tenancy architecture). Inproviders are managing finance, accounting, HR
this model, customer is paying the license fees to thepayroll, procurement and contact center processes in
software vendor as well as hosting services fees toan outsourced manner. These processes, which are
the ASP. Technology (non-net native), performance,fully or partially outsourced, involve utilization of
security, integration and customization issues areenterprise software solutions like Document
significant bottlenecks for increasing the acceptabilityManagement, BPM, ERP, CRM, SCM, HRMS, etc.
of enterprise software delivered over an ASP model.BPOs, along with Managed Services Providers (MSPs)
SaaS delivery model is based on the softwarewho offer the delivery and management of network
products/ applications, which are built on net-nativebased services, applications and equipment including
platform for one-to-many many (single instance,fully outsourced network management, can provide
multiple tenancy architecture). Software built for SaaSSaaS for their customers as well provide both voice
delivery is capable for upgrades and enhancementsand transaction processing services, which utilize
on an ongoing basis as compared to on-premise orthese enterprise applications, emerging as Integrated
ASP hosted applications. SaaS deployed over anBusiness Services Providers.
On-Demand Computing model, in which network andSaaS product development and re-architecting
computing resources are also made available asservices providers, BPOs and MSPs can evolve as a
PAYG, has emerged as a very powerful method forstrong combination for the Indian Information
SMBs to harness the power of enterprise software.Technology Services industry in the era of SaaS. Not
Reduced TCO, Rapid implementation and service levelonly these providers stand to benefit but Indian
improvements in a PAYG environment are the driversSMBs and SMBs from the developing economies can
of SaaS.also leverage the benefits of SaaS - Made and
SaaS has the potential of being business services andServiced in India, given the cost competitive nature
business transformation platform if the softwareof software, BPO and managed services in India as
stack available with the SaaS Integration Platformscompared to their North American counterparts.