Posted: Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:57:01 GMT
Author: Computerworld
FRAMINGHAM, MA -- 04/04/08 -- A record number of IT executives converged at Computerworld's Software-as-a-Service Conference (SaaScon) in Santa Clara on March 24-26 to share best practices and expertise about implementing SaaS solutions into their businesses. CIOs who spoke at SaaScon agreed that the SaaS model continues to gain market momentum, demonstrating greater value and increased functionality for their growing IT management needs.
IT executives from a number of different of industries discussed their experiences in implementing SaaS solutions, emphasizing how to overcome customization and integration hurdles, the cost vs. the risk, and the security challenges of SaaS adoption. Consistent among the executives, lower investments in software, faster time to deployment and the ability to focus IT resources on core business objectives were among the key benefits of implementing SaaS solutions. Most CIOs agreed that the SaaS model will continue to permeate the enterprise and is quickly becoming a cost effective tool that allows their organizations to deliver services faster and reach more customers.
"SaaScon was a huge success this year as evidenced by not only the record number of attendees but the caliber of the keynote speakers, session presenters and sponsors," said Ron Milton, executive vice president of Computerworld. "SaaScon is the one venue that provided real-world case study examples across a broad spectrum of industries and compelling SaaS implementations now, and in the future." "SaaScon provided me the opportunity to share information and best practices with my peers. We were very excited to learn more about the benefits of SaaS and how new methods in application delivery are changing the way we use technology," said Basil Blume, vice president and CIO, Colorado Capital Bank. SaaS providers also had the opportunity to showcase their latest offerings, network with partners and ISVs, and educate end-users on how to incorporate Software-as-a-Service into their business environments. "SaaScon does an excellent job of bringing together the best providers and the end users to share experiences and address the issues around SaaS adoption. It's a valuable venue for IBM to connect our SaaS partners with potential customers and ensure our strategies reflect the needs of the IT buyers who are increasingly embracing SaaS," commented Dave Mitchell, IBM program director, SaaS. "SaaScon is more than just a great event -- Absolute Performance has made strategic connections with a number of companies that have expanded our partner ecosystem. SaaScon is a must for professionals that need to know the state of the SaaS industry," said Mitchell Ashley, CTO of Absolute Performance, Inc. About SaaScon SaaScon is the premier event for Business Services technologies and is designed for business and technical professionals seeking to learn about the latest offerings from providers and how to incorporate Software-as-a-Service into their business environments. The theme for SaaScon 2008 was "Seizing the Value in Business Services!" Attendees heard presentations from world-class IT executives and learned how CIOs and their teams exploit SOA, Web 2.0 and Business Services. Topic areas included: Moving Mission-Critical Applications to the Business Services Model; Measuring Success, Embracing Best Practices and Avoiding Pitfalls; Understanding a Delivery Model in Transition; Balancing Risk and Reward; and Securing Data You Don't Control. |
