Comments on: SaaS Strategies for Existing ISVs http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/ Understanding the Software as a Service Revolution Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:11:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: More on existing ISV’s morphing to SaaS | diversity.net.nz http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-26245 More on existing ISV’s morphing to SaaS | diversity.net.nz Fri, 07 Dec 2007 07:26:11 +0000 http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-26245 [...] Over at SaaS blogs Sinclair has written an excellent post about different strategies that ISV’s can take to build SaaS competencies and business cases. Part of the post was the following chart detailing possible business implementation strategies; [...] […] Over at SaaS blogs Sinclair has written an excellent post about different strategies that ISV’s can take to build SaaS competencies and business cases. Part of the post was the following chart detailing possible business implementation strategies; […]

]]> By: SaaS Blogs - » Are There REALLY Multiple Strategies for ISVs? http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-12671 SaaS Blogs - » Are There REALLY Multiple Strategies for ISVs? Tue, 04 Sep 2007 21:57:42 +0000 http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-12671 [...] About a week ago I wrote an article on SaaS strategies for existing ISVs, and I see that a a parallel conversation emerged starting with a post by Anshu Sharma that claimed that in the real world, ISVs “…adopt a range of delivery model options to fit the customers need and economics of their particular business.” Phil Wainwright followed up with this post, where he vented about Sharma’s position. [...] […] About a week ago I wrote an article on SaaS strategies for existing ISVs, and I see that a a parallel conversation emerged starting with a post by Anshu Sharma that claimed that in the real world, ISVs “…adopt a range of delivery model options to fit the customers need and economics of their particular business.” Phil Wainwright followed up with this post, where he vented about Sharma’s position. […]

]]> By: Agile Software Development as the number one success factor for SaaS and Product Development 2.0 - Agility for IT professionals http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-12615 Agile Software Development as the number one success factor for SaaS and Product Development 2.0 - Agility for IT professionals Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:07:39 +0000 http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-12615 [...] Being involved both in smartbeanz (a financial management SaaS solution) and in product development at Fronde I take a strong interest in the dynamics around SaaS. While my CEO Jim has some insight on SaaS strategies for packaged software vendors (read also Sinclair Schuller’s post) Troy Wing (CTO of Forcelogix) names Agile Development Methodologies as the number one factor for a successful adoption of a SaaS business model. I quote: Software as a Service Development is all about low cost, high quality and speed of delivery. You cannot afford to adopt a bloated and slow approach to delivering features. Users will identify features and issues that will become showstoppers unless you can resolve quickly. The ability to deliver new features quickly will also help retain user interest in your product. [...] […] Being involved both in smartbeanz (a financial management SaaS solution) and in product development at Fronde I take a strong interest in the dynamics around SaaS. While my CEO Jim has some insight on SaaS strategies for packaged software vendors (read also Sinclair Schuller’s post) Troy Wing (CTO of Forcelogix) names Agile Development Methodologies as the number one factor for a successful adoption of a SaaS business model. I quote: Software as a Service Development is all about low cost, high quality and speed of delivery. You cannot afford to adopt a bloated and slow approach to delivering features. Users will identify features and issues that will become showstoppers unless you can resolve quickly. The ability to deliver new features quickly will also help retain user interest in your product. […]

]]> By: Sinclair Schuller http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-12194 Sinclair Schuller Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:32:39 +0000 http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-12194 Mike, it's good to hear that people like yourself help ISVs understand the strategy implications. Things are going quite well at Apprenda, we'll touch base soon. Mike, it’s good to hear that people like yourself help ISVs understand the strategy implications. Things are going quite well at Apprenda, we’ll touch base soon.

]]> By: Mike Jalonen | OnDemand Solutions http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-12189 Mike Jalonen | OnDemand Solutions Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:11:05 +0000 http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-12189 This is a great article and does a great job of outlining options for the migration. Its funny, being in this market and helping clients make these specific, life changing decisions, how many of them just attempt to rewrite the software to be a hosted model without ever understanding the options. We here all the time, “we need to be SaaS”, everyone’s doing it but the implications can ruin a business if not considered thoroughly. Great article Sinclair, and I hope things are going well over at Apprenda. This is a great article and does a great job of outlining options for the migration. Its funny, being in this market and helping clients make these specific, life changing decisions, how many of them just attempt to rewrite the software to be a hosted model without ever understanding the options. We here all the time, “we need to be SaaS”, everyone’s doing it but the implications can ruin a business if not considered thoroughly. Great article Sinclair, and I hope things are going well over at Apprenda.

]]> By: Paul http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-11837 Paul Wed, 29 Aug 2007 01:39:18 +0000 http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-11837 I can comment from the perspective of being a "start up" within and incumbent. Not a SaaS company but i think the lessons are universal. For us as the start up to get credibility (our revenue is a rounding error), mindshare, focus from the channel and Capx while operating within the constraints of the legacy business (ie their processes and procedures) has quite frankly been a nightmare. If i'd been me i would have carved us out a let us do our thing separately (like IBM did with its PC business). incumbency brings some benefits (money mainly), but the drawbacks are enormous . Try being told to sprint like any other start up, but having to carry the anchor of a large companies processes....and then being told "don't be too successful". We'd like to manage the disruption...other nonsense like that I can comment from the perspective of being a “start up” within and incumbent. Not a SaaS company but i think the lessons are universal.

For us as the start up to get credibility (our revenue is a rounding error), mindshare, focus from the channel and Capx while operating within the constraints of the legacy business (ie their processes and procedures) has quite frankly been a nightmare.
If i’d been me i would have carved us out a let us do our thing separately (like IBM did with its PC business).
incumbency brings some benefits (money mainly), but the drawbacks are enormous . Try being told to sprint like any other start up, but having to carry the anchor of a large companies processes….and then being told “don’t be too successful”. We’d like to manage the disruption…other nonsense like that

]]> By: Matt Ammerman http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-11810 Matt Ammerman Tue, 28 Aug 2007 21:39:44 +0000 http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-11810 To continue Sinclair's chess analogy, part of the decision making process surrounding product strategy involves the tools available that a) make the target product objective feasible, and b) mitigate the business risk involved. Just as a chess player's calculations are constrained by the pieces available to him/her, ISVs consider strategies based partially on the tools - both business and technological - available to them. Ben, I see a substantial amount of doubt as well at the moment, but I believe that ISVs can achieve SaaS status given the right tools to leverage and there's clearly an impending SaaS enablement charge. Further reading from <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/gianpaolo/archive/2007/07/05/efficient-software-delivery-through-service-delivery-platforms.aspx" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow">Gianpaolo</a> regarding SaaS enablement technologies (aka 'platforms') from his standpoint at Microsoft. To continue Sinclair’s chess analogy, part of the decision making process surrounding product strategy involves the tools available that a) make the target product objective feasible, and b) mitigate the business risk involved. Just as a chess player’s calculations are constrained by the pieces available to him/her, ISVs consider strategies based partially on the tools - both business and technological - available to them. Ben, I see a substantial amount of doubt as well at the moment, but I believe that ISVs can achieve SaaS status given the right tools to leverage and there’s clearly an impending SaaS enablement charge.

Further reading from Gianpaolo regarding SaaS enablement technologies (aka ‘platforms’) from his standpoint at Microsoft.

]]> By: Sinclair Schuller http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-11806 Sinclair Schuller Tue, 28 Aug 2007 21:00:37 +0000 http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-11806 Thanks for the comments and follow up. Ben, you are right: the proof is in the pudding. The fresh, new SaaS companies will always have the edge, but I don't believe the situation is dire for all ISVs. Some out there will be able to use some smart decision making when it comes to strategies to fend of the "SaaS invaders." It is an uphill battle, I just wouldn't write it off as lost. Jim, I've bumped into the same "all or nothing" product replacement mentality. Each situation is different, and clearly some strategies are better than others in different scenarios (just ask a chess player !!). Thanks for the comments and follow up.

Ben, you are right: the proof is in the pudding. The fresh, new SaaS companies will always have the edge, but I don’t believe the situation is dire for all ISVs. Some out there will be able to use some smart decision making when it comes to strategies to fend of the “SaaS invaders.” It is an uphill battle, I just wouldn’t write it off as lost.

Jim, I’ve bumped into the same “all or nothing” product replacement mentality. Each situation is different, and clearly some strategies are better than others in different scenarios (just ask a chess player !!).

]]> By: Jim Donovan http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-11803 Jim Donovan Tue, 28 Aug 2007 20:49:34 +0000 http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-11803 Excellent post Sinclair. It's important in any product management strategy to understand what you're trying to achieve and why, so you can manage the risks as well as the opportunities. Some SaaS proponents dismiss any of the alternatives to product replacement, but they are all valid strategies. Excellent post Sinclair. It’s important in any product management strategy to understand what you’re trying to achieve and why, so you can manage the risks as well as the opportunities. Some SaaS proponents dismiss any of the alternatives to product replacement, but they are all valid strategies.

]]> By: En Avant » Blog Archive » SaaS strategies for packaged software vendors http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-11801 En Avant » Blog Archive » SaaS strategies for packaged software vendors Tue, 28 Aug 2007 20:43:18 +0000 http://www.saasblogs.com/2007/08/28/saas-strategies-for-existing-isvs/#comment-11801 [...] As with any product management strategy, you need to to have a clear understanding of what you are trying to achieve when you introduce product variants. Sinclair Schuller (from SaaS platform vendor Apprenda) has written a thoughtful piece on SaaS strategy considerations for package software vendors (click chart for a summary). It’s worth reading the whole article, but in a nutshell, he looks at four quite different strategic intents: [...] […] As with any product management strategy, you need to to have a clear understanding of what you are trying to achieve when you introduce product variants. Sinclair Schuller (from SaaS platform vendor Apprenda) has written a thoughtful piece on SaaS strategy considerations for package software vendors (click chart for a summary). It’s worth reading the whole article, but in a nutshell, he looks at four quite different strategic intents: […]

]]>