| We all want our businesses to be efficient and | | | | objections. |
| lean. Software as a service is an ever growing | | | | I dont want my data to be overseas or |
| business solution that enables small, medium and | | | | somewhere that I cannot touch it |
| large companies to take advantage of enterprise | | | | A bold enough truth, but how relevant is that |
| class applications in a controlled way. Software as | | | | thought process when we consider online-banking, |
| a service allows companies to tightly manage risk, | | | | online tax office information, online medical |
| gain business efficiency and at the same time | | | | information. These are all examples in everyday |
| leave itself open to choices as their company | | | | life where we do not know where the data is, but |
| grows. | | | | accept that under the right circumstances it is |
| If you have read the newspapers lately they are | | | | protected on our behalf. The same concept |
| full of various plays on the words tough times, | | | | applies to your business data. Most online vendors |
| inspiring companies to re-evaluate costs and | | | | have strict compliance they have to follow; |
| business efficiency. It is fair to say that this | | | | guidelines that most businesses can choose to |
| process of review and risk has been going on for | | | | ignore when their servers are left in the office, or |
| many years, and that for astute business this is a | | | | in the shed out the back. |
| never ending process. | | | | On the other side of the equation, software as a |
| After all, making decisions about capital and human | | | | service allows us to buy into all of the security, |
| resource costs when looking at new information | | | | hardware and software that the online vendor |
| technology projects can turn the process less into | | | | has to supply as part of their overall compliance |
| product evaluation, and more about carefully | | | | at a fraction of the price we would have to pay |
| defined business risk. Everyone wants a | | | | ourselves. It no longer becomes necessary to |
| guarantee, but not at any price. | | | | invest thousands of dollars in hardware, security |
| So that is the paradigm. How do I move forward | | | | and software. You reduce your exposure to |
| with my business IT solutions without taking the | | | | failure to just about zero. |
| risk of an expensive failure? Assessing the cost | | | | Software as a service allows your business to |
| of licensing which is often not refundable, the cost | | | | move slowly, and with grace into new IT |
| of hardware which is basically worthless out of | | | | solutions, providing an instant get of trouble play. |
| the box, and computing the cost of human | | | | Using small teams, and defining system |
| resources, all compounds risk. To coin a phrase | | | | requirements, choose your software as a service |
| failure is not an option. | | | | vendor based on customer service, and flexible |
| This is where software projects can end up less | | | | integration abilities. |
| as a shining example of strategic merit, and more | | | | In summary, to improve an overall cost of |
| a case of we have come too far for this to fail | | | | ownership, eliminating the need to invest in |
| now. | | | | expensive licensing, hardware and consulting |
| So let us take a look at the risk benefits that can | | | | service, means company decision makers like you |
| be derived by software as a service or hosted | | | | now have a "get out free" card to play. |
| solutions, and consider at least one of the key | | | | |