Back on Aug. 19, we asked MSPmentor readers the following question: If you were launching a managed services provider (MSP) from scratch, what type of RMM (remote monitoring and management) and PSA (professional services automation) tools would you embrace? Although it wasn’t a scientific survey, 345 readers participated and most said they’d leverage pure SaaS (software as a service) options rather than on-premise options. Here’s a quick look at results.
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Do Start-Up MSPs Prefer SaaS and Hosted Options?
Posted September 2nd, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Terremark Finds $2.5 Million in the Cloud
Posted August 7th, 2009 by John Moore
Terremark Worldwide is beginning to measure the impact of its year-old enterprise cloud services business. And the numbers look promising. Take a look.
SaaS Stocks Setting the Pace on Wall Street in 2009
Posted May 24th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Despite new concerns about Salesforce.com’s growth rate, software as a service (SaaS) stocks are outperforming the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq so far this year, according to our SaaS 20 Stock Index. And a new relationship between IBM and Intuit shows where SaaS is heading next. Here’s a look at SaaS trends on Wall Street.
NetSuite Winning Back Wall Street?
Posted February 16th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Software as a service (SaaS) stocks fell slightly during the week ended February 13, but shares of NetSuite (N) — provider of on-demand ERP software — continue to rally. Here’s a look at the overall SaaS 20 Stock Index plus the reasons driving NetSuite’s recent rally.
Where Cloud Services Are Heading Next
Posted February 10th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Still skeptical about the convergence of open source, software as a service (SaaS) and cloud services? Take a minute to read this story. It’s one of the first examples of a solutions provider meeting customer needs by embracing open source and Amazon Web Services. And I think it’s a sign of things to come for VARs and managed service providers.
SaaS: Earning A Second Look In 2009?
Posted January 12th, 2009 by Joe Panettieri
Software as a service stocks (SaaS) dropped more than 40 percent in 2008, according to our SaaS 20 Stock Index. But the index is holding its own so far in 2009, and MSPmentor readers indicate that they think that the SaaS sector is poised to have a strong year, according to our latest weekly poll.
SaaS Strategies for 2009
Posted November 27th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
If you’re seeking to polish your software as a service (SaaS) strategy, check out this intriguing blog post from the Instigator Blog. Author Ben Yoskovitz predicts SaaS companies will be in “a whackload of trouble.” That sounds a bit dramatic to me, but Yoskovitz does offer some great tips to help you formulate and improve your SaaS strategy.
NetSuite: Bad News, Good News for Software as a Service
Posted November 4th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
NetSuite, one of the software as a service (SaaS) industry’s key players, remains stuck in a financial paradox: Even as the company’s revenues rise dramatically, NetSuite’s stock remains depressed. What does that say about the SaaS market as a whole?
Symantec Launches Partner Program for SaaS
Posted October 16th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Talk about timing. Earlier today, I expressed concern that Symantec wasn’t really promoting its SaaS (software as a service) platform during a partner conference here in Washington, D.C. A few hours after my rant, Symantec launched a partner program for the Symantec Protection Network. Here are some of the details.
Symantec Protection Network Gains Remote Access Tools
Posted September 17th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
I spent much of 2007 hyping the Symantec Protection Network (SPN), a software as a service (SaaS) platform for storage management (now) and security management (down the road). But even Symantec concedes SPN hit some early bumps.
Meet the Most Successful SaaS Companies Wall Street Doesn’t Know
Posted August 20th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
In the past week, I’ve run into four of the most successful software as a service (SaaS) companies that Wall Street investors don’t know — at least not yet. Here’s a quick look at the companies, and their critical importance to the SaaS industry.
Why Are SaaS Stocks Climbing Higher?
Posted August 10th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
As I mentioned August 8, software as a service (SaaS) stocks have been moving higher lately. In fact, MSPmentor’s SaaS 20 Stock Index has climbed four consecutive weeks.
SaaS 20 Stock Index Rises 3.30% for Week Ended August 1
Posted August 1st, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Led by Salary.com, the SaaS 20 Stock Index, which tracks the software as a service market, has posted one of its strongest showings this year. The index rose 3.30% for the week ended August 1 — easily beating one-week performances for the Dow (down 0.5%) and the S&P 500 (up .02%).
RightNow’s Earnings: Good News for SaaS?
Posted July 31st, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
RightNow, a member of our SaaS 20 Stock Index, has released quarterly results that reveal accelerating software as a service (SaaS) sales. You never know how investors are going to react — especially as oil prices fluctuate by the hour. But RightNow’s optimistic financial outlook could be reassuring to the SaaS industry. Here are some of the financial figures RightNow released July 30.
SaaS Reality Check: RightNow Earnings Today
Posted July 30th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
RightNow, one of the leading publicly held software as a service (SaaS) companies, is scheduled to announce earnings later today (July 30). We’ll provide some perspective once we see the numbers.
Amazon.com Lifts SaaS 20 Stock Index for Week Ended July 25
Posted July 26th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
A strong financial report from Amazon.com lifted the SaaS 20 Stock index a tiny 0.20% gain for the week ended July 25. The index has now climbed almost four percent since early July. Are software as a service (SaaS) stocks ready to continue a rally? We’ll find out on July 30, when RightNow (RNOW) is scheduled to announce 2Q results after the market closes.
VARs Warming Up to Symantec Protection Network?
Posted July 18th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Symantec Protection Network (SPN), a software as a service (SaaS) platform launched in May 2008, is off to a solid start with managed service providers and VARs, according to Symantec Senior Director Chris Schin.
How to Track SaaS and Managed Services Funding
Posted July 18th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
As the hype about software as a service (SaaS) and managed services continues, it’s sometimes difficult to keep track of all the startups and young companies that receive venture funding. But I just stumbled across a Web site that may help you track how investors are pumping money into SaaS and MSP start-ups.
Open Source SaaS Scores Again With Apatar
Posted July 11th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Software as a service (SaaS) and open source continue to converge. The latest example is Apatar On-Demand, which now synchronizes Salesforce.com CRM and Intuit QuickBooks accounting software.
10 Tips: Email Marketing for Business Growth
Posted July 9th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
You’re a managed service provider that wants to communicate regularly with existing customers — and target customers. Email marketing can certainly assist your efforts, but you also run the risk of upsetting customers with unwanted messages.
Microsoft Online Services: SaaS Pricing, Partner Strategy Announced
Posted July 8th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Microsoft has announced pricing and partner details for Microsoft Online Services — the company’s software as a service (SaaS) product portfolio. At the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Houston, the company also pushed downstream with entry-level SaaS offerings for so-called “deskless workers” who don’t spend much time on computers but still need to collaborate with peers.
Five Reasons Microsoft Will Get SaaS Right
Posted July 8th, 2008 by The VAR Guy
Is software as a service (SaaS) killing Microsoft? Hardly. Stephen Elop, president of the Microsoft Business Division, is expected to discuss SaaS during his July 8 keynote at the company’s Worldwide Partner Conference in Houston. But even before Elop takes the stage, here are five reasons why Microsoft won’t lose the SaaS wars.
Nimsoft CEO Gary Read: Another Big Quarter for Managed Services
Posted July 7th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
U.S. investors are dealing with a bear stock market. And our SaaS 20 Stock Index is down nearly 20 percent this year. Time for managed service providers to panic? Perhaps not. Anecdotal evidence — including a bullish blog entry from Nimsoft CEO Gary Read — suggests the MSP market continues to hum along. Here’s the scoop.
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