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.
4 comments
Microsoft Online Services: SaaS Pricing, Partner Strategy Announced
Posted July 8th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
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.
SaaS 20 Stock Index Down Nearly 20% In 2008
Posted July 6th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Much like the Dow Jones Industrial Average, our SaaS 20 Stock Index has fallen off a cliff and is nearing bear market territory this year. Indeed, our index — which tracks the software as a service industry — slid another 3.89% for the week ended July 3, and it’s now down 19.63% for 2008.
SaaS 20 Stock Index Down 3.6% for the Week
Posted June 27th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Software as a service (SaaS) may represent the future of IT, but MSPmentor’s SaaS 20 Stock Index continues to slide downward like the rest of Wall Street. While the Dow is approaching bear market territory — down nearly 20% from its October 2007 high — the SaaS 20 Stock Index has slid 16.38% in 2008 and 3.63% for the week ended June 27.
Intuit Cutting Staff Amid SaaS Transition
Posted June 27th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Intuit, a member of our SaaS 20 Stock Index, is cutting 7 percent of its staff (or about 575 positions). The move reflects Intuit’s accelerating shift to software as a service (SaaS). Indeed, the company plans to move even faster from packaged software to online services, social networking and mobile technologies, according to the Associated Press.
In SaaS, Do First Movers Finish Last?
Posted June 25th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Should you race to gain “first-mover advantage” in the software as a service (SaaS) market? Or should you sit back and learn from the early mistakes your rivals make? Before you answer that question, consider the situation at eGain Communications — which is celebrating its tenth year as a SaaS specialist.
SaaS 20 Stock Index Slides 1.75% for the Week
Posted June 21st, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
MSPmentor’s SaaS 20 Stock Index, which tracks the software as a service industry, slid 1.75 percent for the week ended June 20, 2008. But that’s not so bad, considering the Dow slipped 4 percent on the week and hit a 3-month low.
Introduction: The SaaS 20 Stock Index
Posted June 19th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
I enjoy Wall Street, blogging and the high-tech industry. With those three factors in mind, MSPmentor has launched the SaaS 20 Stock Index. It includes 20 companies focused on the software as a service (SaaS) industry.
Red Hat Partners With Amazon.com On SaaS
Posted June 17th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
When I added Amazon.com to our SaaS 20 Stock Index, a few readers asked me whether the online retailer is really a software as a service (SaaS) company. My answer: Absolutely. And a growing number of tech companies agree with me.
Understanding Google Apps for Managed Service Providers
Posted June 16th, 2008 by The VAR Guy
So, you’re a managed service provider or VAR who’s striving to understand Google Apps — the search giant’s on-demand software development platform.
Update: Symantec’s SaaS Strategy
Posted June 16th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Apparently, Symantec’s SaaS (software as a service) platform, known as Symantec Protection Network (SPN), hasn’t exactly set the world on fire since its launch earlier this year. In fact, Symantec has been unusually quiet about SPN’s progress in recent months.
The Secret to Selling Managed Print Services
Posted June 16th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Earlier this year I attended a few managed services luncheons hosted by Do IT Smarter, Xerox, MX Logic and a few other vendors. I heard some practical guidance for selling and supporting managed print services.
SaaS Stocks Down 12% So Far In 2008
Posted June 9th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
The next time somebody tells you software as a service (SaaS) is a home-run opportunity, tell them to take a close look at MSPmentor’s SaaS 20 Stock Index, which tracks many of the world’s “leading” SaaS companies.
Google Promotes App Engine to SaaS Developers
Posted May 28th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
As managed service providers push beyond the classic Wintel market, many are trying to get a better feel for software as a service (SaaS) and cloud computing. That’s where Google enters the picture.
Forbes Magazine Discovers Dell’s MSP Strategy
Posted May 27th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Although managed services coverage hasn’t quite pushed into the mainstream media, some business publications are starting to more effectively cover small business IT services.
Microsoft SaaS vs. Google Apps on College Campuses
Posted May 27th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
If you want to see how Microsoft and Google are competing in the software as a service (SaaS) market, head back to college. As I’ve written here a few times, Hofstra University, the University of Phoenix and several other large colleges have embraced Google Apps to manage student email, alumni email and collaboration. Now, Microsoft is taking steps to more actively promote its rival offering: Live@edu hosted applications.
Rise of the “Software Plus Service” Model?
Posted May 22nd, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
I’m a firm believer that managed service providers (MSPs) must offer “feet on the street” and face-to-face interaction with customers, otherwise you risk losing close, long-term relationships. Even if you offer software as a service (SaaS), you need to force yourself to visit customers regularly (once a month to once a quarter). That’s where the “software plus service” or “hybrid” business model comes into focus.
Salesforce.com: The First $1 Billion SaaS Company?
Posted May 21st, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Salesforce.com announced strong quarterly financial results today, and the company expects revenue for its full year (ending in January 2009) to exceed $1 billion. Does that mean Salesforce.com will become the first $1 billion software as a service (SaaS) company?
Half of All Exchange Server Deployments Will Involve SaaS Within Five Years
Posted May 20th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
If you’re a Microsoft partner that’s skeptical about software as a service (SaaS), consider this: Half of all Exchange email inboxes will involve hosted systems within five years, notes Mary Jo Foley’s All About Microsoft blog. I’ve been alerting readers in recent weeks about Microsoft’s SaaS strategy for Exchange, Dynamics CRM and SharePoint. Ultimately, Microsoft will need to compete and cooperate with managed service providers (MSPs) that host those applications. Here’s how some Microsoft partners intend to cope with the software giant’s SaaS moves.
Blackboard Reveals SaaS Financial Trends
Posted May 8th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Evidence is mounting that the software as a service (SaaS) industry is doing well — but not quite as well as financial analysts had expected. The latest anecdote comes from Blackboard Inc., a company that offers hosted applications to colleges and universities.
Dell Talks Up Managed Services With 75 Partners
Posted May 5th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Dell, in its latest bid to build trust and profitable relationships with managed service providers, hosted a Web seminar for about 75 partners on May 1. More Web seminars are planned, but something far more interesting caught my attention: It seems like some Dell managers truly do have the channel in their DNA.
Wall Street: Turning Sour On NetSuite, SaaS?
Posted May 5th, 2008 by Joe Panettieri
Talk about role reversal. A few months ago, RightNow was plummeting and NetSuite was skyrocketing. But the two software as a service (SaaS) companies appear to have traded places. Only a day after RightNow announced financial progress, NetSuite delivered growth projections that disappointed Wall Street.
Take a look at our 