26
Aug
Posted in Cloud app integration trends by Mike Ponta on Aug 26 2010
A survey taken by Access Markets International looked at SaaS implementation habits among small and medium sized businesses. The survey found that 12% of small business and 24% of medium-sized business use SaaS, and that about one-third of SMBs use a pure SaaS approach. Two outlets looked at this survey in a different light.
Connected Planet looks closely at how the survey means that many applications are still used on premise and how some may stay there. They quote an AMI representative who explains that high-security applications like accounting software remain on premise for many years.
CRN.com took takes a look at how the study suggests SMBs are “hungry” for more SaaS offerings. They point out that many survey respondents plan to incorporate more SaaS into their application stacks in the near future, in part due to macro-economic conditions.
Both sites, of course, are looking at the same numbers. But their differing opinions point out the unavoidable give-and-take that comes with SaaS: SaaS adoption and integration requires organizations to give up some control over their applications, but it can also be more cost-effective.
18
Aug
Posted in Cloud app integration news by Mike Ponta on Aug 18 2010
Matson Navigation, a large shipping company, is in the process of retiring its mainframes and transitioning to a SaaS-heavy application line-up. CTO Peter Weis offers five important considerations when making the move. Number 3 on the list seemed particularly important: “Take inventory and throw out apps.” Integrating new cloud apps with those that are functionally useless, after all, is a big waste of time and money.
In this case study, the author explains how two businesses each used NetSuite to improve sales and streamline business processes. The article has a bit of bias (“The company moved to NetSuite…. Application integration was no longer a problem” Maybe it was significantly less of a problem, but a problem no longer?). Nevertheless there’s some honest evidence to support the value of SaaS integration: InkJetSuperstore.com didn’t have the budget for an in-house IT staff, and now it doesn’t need one.
Integration and data management provider Liason Technologies today bought integration services provider SoftShare. The acquisition is said to continue Liason’s strategy of enhancing its cloud-based enterprise application integration (EAI) and B2B integration offerings. Which is to say, Liason bought Softshare to be better at SaaS integration.
11
Aug
Posted in Cloud app integration news by Mike Ponta on Aug 11 2010
Legacy integration is one of the top reasons companies are wary of the migration from on-premise systems to the cloud and SaaS. Part of overcoming the integration problem will be the adoption of end-to-end SaaS functionality in the form of product suites and two-tier deployments during the transition.
Integration services provider Jitterbit announced this week a global partner program. The partnership program offers consulting/SI, OEM/VAR, and reseller models. Jitterbit has partnered already with Salesforce.com, Netsuite, Oracle, and InfoWelders.
Service-oriented architecture, which in terms of hype is the cloud computing of five years ago, has suffered because the ROI remains tough to identify. The advantages of SOA are largely measured in abstract concepts like agility and interoperability. But the author suggests the very real cost reductions of cloud computing might make SOA adoption, and its emphasis on Web services, more palatable.
