From "In House" to "In The Cloud"
The Cloud Trend
So we’ve talked about the benefits of SaaS (Software as a Service) including cost efficiency, scalability, and even its positive effect on the environment. However, most companies handle their Business Intelligence (BI) applications in-house. This may not be true in the next few years as SaaS usage is expected to grow to 23% by 2013.
What exactly are BI applications? Business Intelligence applications are computing utilities ranging from data mining and analytic programs to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms.
CIO conducted a survey in May with over 300 IT leaders and found that 23% expect to utilize cloud of SaaS as their main BI solution within three years.
For SaaS vendors, this is incredibly good news, as 57% of those surveyed claimed they anticipate a bigger investment in BI applications within the next year. Opportunity is knocking!
The Benefits of SaaS
We’ve already discussed the benefits of SaaS, but we’re going to do it again!
Two Major Advantages of SaaS
- Cost Efficiency:
o SaaS eliminates the need to buy licenses in bulk.
o Rented on a month-to-month basis (lower upfront costs).
- Off Site Management:
o Reduces workload for in-house IT staff.
o Vendor monitors and updates application.
o Off-site automated backups available.
Its Up To You
Do you want to be ahead of the game and hop on the bandwagon now or later? Regardless of what you decide, SaaS is on the rise. Now is the time to start thinking about whether or not to head into the Cloud.