Letter to the Editor

Sir,

As use of the Software as a Service (SaaS) model for application delivery gains momentum, growing numbers of VARs (Value Added Resellers) and ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) are looking to evolve from on premise suppliers to offering customers a robust and secure managed service option. But in a market that ranges from basic hosting providers offering nothing more than rack space to fully managed solutions complete with in-depth business consultancy, choosing the right provider is complex, especially for organisations unfamiliar with the challenges associated with SaaS.

From data centre location to disaster recovery strategies and connectivity concerns, knowing the right questions to ask a potential provider is key to ensuring the correct long term decision.

Cloud computing is rapidly becoming the dominant model for software delivery indeed, those that dont adopt this approach risk rapidly going out of business. However, this is a complex marketplace that requires providers to have an in-depth understanding to deliver communications bandwidth that is both adequate and resilient. To avoid the ever present risk of data centre and comms provider passing the buck between them seek out a one stop shop managed services provider and hold on to them.

With the right provider, the SaaS model provides ISVs with the ability to offer customers access to a technology infrastructure that a FTSE 100 company would aspire to achieve, taking the organisation into a far broader competitive marketplace and delivering returns far beyond expectations. Now is the time to make the move.

Yours sincerely,

Keith Bates
Chairman
ESG