Free SaaS report from Quocirca: 'On-premise and on-demand'

On-premise and on-demand

The software as a service (SaaS) delivery model has matured to such an extent that there is now an on-demand component to most software applications, whether it is online help, automated updates or the main application engine. At the same time, many vendors are realising that to provide a satisfactory end user experience, total reliance on a web browser is not always enough and a desktop component is often needed. The need to link with on-premise components extends beyond the desktop to legacy software maintained internally and as business processes, that span organisations, are linked together using a mix of on-premise and on-demand applications, expert help is still needed to integrate it all.

Key Findings

• Most consumer and business applications have an on-demand component
  There is a grey scale from between pure on-demand to pure on-premise with few applications being truly black or white. The reality today is nearly always a mix of on-premise software and on-demand services.
  
• For many applications an on-premise component is needed to enrich the user experience
  Whether it is iTunes or Flickr; Microsoft LiveMeeting or salesforce.com, on-demand applications often have a desktop component that enriches the end user experience and, when necessary, allows off-line use.
  
• On-demand delivery is attractive to businesses because it helps them manage costs, provides high availability and flexible access
  Paying monthly fees out of operational expenditure for on-demand applications with high availability guaranteed gives businesses of all sizes the confidence and flexibility to embed them in critical business processes.
  
• Business processes are only as strong as the weakest link in the applications that support them
  No organisation wants to be the one that causes a business process to seizeup due to IT failure. On-demand applications allow businesses to share resources, with the responsibility for availability being outsourced to 3rd party managed service providers (MSPs).
  
• Some level of integration of on-demand services with legacy applications and internal workflow will always be necessary
  Web services with standard interfaces such as SOAP and REST make such integration easier, but as business processes become more complex and span multiple organisations, businesses still need help from integrators.
  
• Many new independent software vendors (ISVs) are building in on-demand components from the start
  It is not just getting the technology right but the business model too. MSPs are key to helping with both aspects.
  
• Existing ISVs are making the move to on-demand too, but they face additional challenges
  Again, it is not just about adapting code and the security embedded in it, but about adopting new business models and coping with the changes in cash flow and expectations of stakeholders that this entails.

Source : Quocirca.com

Download Full Report : here (requires you to subscribe (also free) )

Microsoft and RIM to Bring Windows Live Services to BlackBerry Smartphone Customers

This pressrelease was issued by Microsoft this morning. As this relates to to the Windows Live platform, it is primarily aimed at the consumer market.

More and more Microsoft announcement confirm a focus on support for platforms beyond Windows ...

... Microsoft Corp. and Research In Motion (RIM) today announced an agreement to provide Microsoft Windows Live services on BlackBerry^® smartphones. As a result of this collaboration, BlackBerry smartphone customers will enjoy easy mobile access to Windows Live Messenger and an enhanced level of integration between Windows Live Hotmail and the BlackBerry platform.

The integration of Windows Live services into the BlackBerry platform will allow customers who use Windows Live Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger on their BlackBerry smartphone to benefit from the BlackBerry platform architecture with the ability to communicate in real time using push technology, and an exceptional mobile communications experience. Customers will also be able to seamlessly access their Windows Live Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger account from their BlackBerry smartphone by simply entering their Windows Live e-mail address and password once.

“The BlackBerry platform is respected around the world for providing optimized messaging capabilities, and RIM continues to look for ways to provide customers with a wide range of communications options and the best possible mobile experience,” said Mark Guibert, vice president, Corporate Marketing at RIM. “Our relationship with Microsoft and the addition of Windows Live services to BlackBerry smartphones help us build on that strategy for our customers.” ...

Source : Microsoft and RIM to Bring Windows Live Services to BlackBerry Smartphone Customers

Webwereld: 'Meeste Facebook-applicaties zijn zinloos'

Toegegeven, Facebook is leuker en onderhoudender dan bijvoorbeeld Hyves. DIt komt met name door de waanzinnige hoeveelheid applicaties. Maar zoals het Webwereld artikel al aangeeft zit daat ontzettend veel onzin tussen. Applicaties gericht op pure tijdverdrijf, en daar moet je dan maar net tijd voor hebben ...

... Afgelopen jaar stelde Facebook ontwikkelaars in de gelegenheid om zelf applicaties te schrijven. De 'collectieve creativiteit' van duizenden programmeurs leverde echter weinig nuttigs op.  ...

Source: 'Meeste Facebook-applicaties zijn zinloos'

Heliview event ' Van Web 2.0 naar Enterprise 2.0'

Gisteren heb ik een presentatie gegeven op het Heliview Event 'Van Web 2.0 naar Enterprise 2.0' .

Dit was de 2e keer in 6 maanden dat Heliview een event heeft georganiseerd over dit onderwerp. Er waren veel goede spreker, waaronder Ross Mayfield van SocialText en Andrew McAfee van Harvard Business School.

Wel leuk om tussen zo'n line-up van sprekers te staan :-)

Wat mij evenals de vorige keer enorm opviel is dat 70% van alles nog gaat over de definities, de verwachtingen, de mogelijkheden, wat analisten ervan vinden, etc. Bijna alsof Web 2.0 / Enterprise 2.0 een produkt is en men toch nog even wacht op versie 2.1.

Tijdens mijn presentatie zaten er ongeveer 70 mensen in de zaal en op mijn vraag "Wie is er al concreet bezig met de implementatie van een Web 2.0 oplossing ?" staken 4/5 mensen hun hand op. Naar mijn mening erg weinig en blijkbaar zijn nog zeer veel organsiaties zich aan het "orienteren" op de mogelijkheden in plaats van (op welke schaal dan ook) concreet dingen van de grond te krijgen.

Het doel dat ik met mijn presentatie had was een aantal van de veel gehoorde     "excuses" te adresseren en aan te geven dat je wel degelijk een start kunt maken. Ik hoop dat het in elk geval een aantal deelnemers heeft geinspireerd ..

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Microsoft to Help Disabled Access Office Documents

 

... Microsoft has released a software add-in to help those who have difficulty reading printed documents to turn Word documents into audio files.

The "Save as DAISY XML" add-in makes it easier to create audio books from text files, and was developed by Microsoft, Sonata Software, and the Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) Consortium as an open-source project. It can be downloaded for free, and is compatible Microsoft Word 2007, Word 2003 and Word XP.

The add-in allow users to save Open XML-based text files as DAISY XML, which in turn can converted into the DAISY Digital Talking Book (DTB) format using another software tool, Pipeline, the latest version of which was also released Wednesday. ...

Source: CIO.com

I really like the fact that Microsoft's approach to providing Office functionality is also focussed on disabled people.

This is a very good example of how OpenXML enables the creation of "DAISY XML"  a format that can be used to create a format to create audio books.

My wife uses a DAISY player for years now and it is an excellent device snd very easy to operate / browse trhough audio books ...

Mike Gotta: The New Out-Of-Office Message

Mike posted something interesting about the evolution of the 'Out-Of-Office' Message or OOF as we call it at Microsoft. Email meets Twitter so to say.

 

I was e-mailing a vendor contact as part of a document review process and received this "out of office" message. I think it's perfect. I've cleaned it up a bit below but I think this is a sign of things to come - don't push away, simply redirect:

I'm at the <insert name of event or business trip> between <dates> and will have delayed access to e-mail. If you have an extremely urgent issue, then call me directly at <cell phone info>.

If you want to keep track of me, then follow me via Twitter at http://twitter.com/<name> or via FriendFeed at http://friendfeed.com/<name>.

Out-of-office replaced by shared situational awareness.

Source: The New Out-Of-Office Message: Twitter and FriendFeed
 

I really see this as a good example on how 'Web 2.0' and 'Enterprise 2.0' go hand in hand. Surely not every organisation will approve of the use of for example Twitter and not every employee 'Tweets'.

It's solutions like Twitter that lay the foundation of a new breed of social and contextual awareness solutions that we will integrate in our Enterprise platforms ...

Yahoo! stock diving after Microsoft pulled back the offer

Yesterday Steve Ballmer wrote a letter to Yahoo stating that Microsoft is no longer interested in a deal with Yahoo!.

Although too early to tell what the effect will be on either company, this is the first effect after the stockmarket opened today :

Yahoo! now needs to work on the other deals they have planned, going with Google's advertising platform is one of the options ...