B2B SaaS, The Solution For Your Data Management Headache

b2b saas the solution for your data management headache

If you are just beginning to explore the idea of your business needing a SaaS (Software as a Service) provider, you are poised on the edge of quality data management and data driven marketing. In 2015, the SaaS industry continued to grow at an enormous rate. SaaS is currently a multi-billion dollar industry, with a growing number of businesses filling the ranks of B2B SaaS companies.

What is SaaS?

Software as a Service (SaaS) delivers applications over the Internet. It is a service that you procure from a provider or manager of software. Instead of installing and maintaining the software on your computer, you access the software and your content through the Internet.

What is the Benefit of SaaS?

There is no hardware or software to buy, install, maintain, or update. Access to the application and data is easy. You just need an Internet connection.

Is SaaS Secure?

Yes, cloud based and web-based SaaS providers are constantly updating and ensuring the security of their services. A bank is a good example of the SaaS model. A bank protects the privacy of each customer while providing service that is reliable and secure, and it is all accomplished on a large-scale. The customers all use the same financial systems and technology without worrying about anyone accessing their personal information without authorization.

“The wise man doesn’t give the right answers, he poses the right questions.” Claude Levi-Strauss

There is an SaaS solution out there to solve your business data management, storage, analysis, retrieval and distribution dilemma. All businesses face challenges and need answers to the “how-to” questions that arise as they grow and compete. You will understand your B2B SaaS needs in a complete and helpful way if you simply answer four basic questions. You can see a list of some of the hottest SaaS players, here. There is a good chance that you have thought about these issues before in several other business contexts. However, in an effort to uncover your true needs as a B2B SaaS customer, let us look at them again.

  • What problem are you trying to solve? Do you want to eliminate the headaches of constant upgrades? Do you need to close the loop between managing your assets and supporting them? Is your business growing and adding staff that needs access to your data?
  • What features of a product are most important to you? Do you want a SaaS analytics that focuses not just on solving the analytics problem, but creates an angle for marketing to customers? Do you need a more robust data integration solution?
  • What objections do you have? Price? Speed? Be able to identify and articulate your objections to the service that is being presented to you, the provider may have another model that fits your needs.
  • What is your buying process? The way a B2B SaaS service is priced effects how it is purchased. Ask yourself, do I want a price that stays the same each month for accounting and budgetary tranquility? Or do I want a one-time cost?

4 Corner IT can help you find the best B2B SaaS solution for your needs. Once you have thought about each of these questions, contact us.

The Simple Definition of SaaS

the simple definition of saas

The Simple Definition of SaaS

The Definition of SaaS

Software as a Service is a software distribution model in which applications are hosted by a vendor or service provider. These applications are typically available on the Internet. A provider licenses an application to you as a service on demand or at no charge. That is if there is an opportunity to generate revenue from advertisements.

According to this article, SaaS is a software delivery method that provides access to software. It functions remotely as a Web-based service. Software as a Service allows organizations to access business functionality at a cost typically less than paying for licensed applications since SaaS pricing is based on a monthly fee.

Some of the exciting features are:

  • Application Programming Interfaces that allow for integration
  • Software that is delivered in a fat link
  • Internet access to commercial software
  • Software that is managed from a central site

SaaS is BIG

SaaS is a rapidly growing technology delivery technique. You can manage activities in a one-to-many model including pricing, management characteristics, architecture and partnering. Thus, it can help lower expenses associated with acquiring software and you can shift some of your Information Technology budget from capital expenses to operational expenses.

Another good reason to consider using SaaS is you can easily refocus your IT staff from maintenance and deployment to top-priority projects. Instead of having an application running on your servers and information stored in your data center, it runs in a vendor’s data center. You rent the software over time, usually monthly or yearly.

A Managed Services provider offers IT support plans that are customized to almost every industry and every business size. Additionally, they have a responsive and courteous first-call resolution help desk, knowledgeable staff and the tools and coverage that your company needs to grow.

For more information please contact us.

What is Software as a Service (SaaS)?

what is software as a service saas

If you’re like most people, you’ve glazed over the SaaS abbreviation many times online, assuming it’s some new high-tech thing no one’s informed you that you need to understand yet for work, so you haven’t made much effort to.

However, there’s a good chance you’ve been using SaaS for years in both your personal and professional life, and you just didn’t realize that the program you were using was also called SaaS. In fact, many people are just realizing that even email falls under the umbrella of cloud computing. Well, for that matter, both email and cloud computing also fall under the SaaS umbrella.

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a software distribution model in which applications are hosted by a vendor or service provider and made available to customers over a network, typically the Internet.

What is Software as a Service?

Basically, SaaS is any application or software program that a service provider or vendor hosts on remote servers. You either pay or get permission to access the platform through a network. In most cases, the network is the internet. So basically, any website that functions like a software platform or any software platform that functions remotely qualifies as SaaS. This includes:

– Email programs,
– Web builders,
– Web developer tools,
– Accounting programs,
– Sales tracking applications,
– Chat windows,
– Telemarketing and call center hubs,
– Payroll managing programs,
– CAD programs,
– Customer relationship management programs,
– Human resources management programs,
– Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and
– Many other cloud computing platforms

However, though there are several very popular personal SaaS platforms, many businesses use SaaS in their day-to-day business activities. Many people even learn these programs when training for careers in HR, Accounting, Finance and other fields. Most companies would rather use these convenient platforms rather than buying costly software and installing it.

However, paid services usually have limited licenses — like you might pay for 10 users or 20 devices, (one smartphone and one desktop for each employee using the software etc.).

SaaS platforms are ideal for many corporations and organizations as long as your IT manager can vouch that the program you plan to use offers the appropriate security level for your industry. Most free platforms have iffy security, so it’s important to keep that in mind.

With Most SaaS Systems

1) There’s no software to install
2) Payments are usually affordable and you can choose to pay monthly, quarterly or annually
3) You can upgrade as your company’s needs change
4) You can access your software using mobile devices, laptops and desktops; from any location that offers internet access
Some platforms even offer customization, meaning, you can make it look like part of your business. So if you had a retail store, for example, and were using the platform to process sales; it could feature your company logo, general color scheme and style. Contact us to learn more about SaaS solutions that might help your business run more smoothly today!

Three Things Your Old Office Suite Can’t Do; The Cloud, Office 365, and VoIP

three things your old office suite can t do the cloud office 365 and voip

“When I wrote ‘The World Is Flat,’ I said the world is flat. Yeah, we’re all connected. Facebook didn’t exist; Twitter was a sound; the cloud was in the sky; 4G was a parking place; LinkedIn was a prison; applications were what you sent to college; and Skype, for most people, was a typo.”

-Thomas Friedman, Author and Journalist, New York Times

Larry Ellison, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and their peers, all spoke wistfully about a world where large servers on the Internet do all the work, and the only device that any citizen uses is a ‘thin client’ to interact with these servers across the network. In spite of their evangelizing, none of them predicted the system we have in place now; in fact, many business users are—at this moment—unaware of how much power and flexibility exists in this ‘cloud and client’ system that is quickly replacing legacy systems where everyone’s power sits directly under their desk.

The Cloud is something most of us are familiar with, that large data center far away where all of our critical data is stored in case of a catastrophe, hardware failure, or otherwise unforeseen loss of vital information. According to a recent article, the cloud is a network of servers, and each server has a different function. Some servers use computing power to run applications or “deliver a service.” Businesses have come to realize that backing up to the cloud is critically important; however, for a large percentage, this is as much cloud integration they have with their office.

Office 365 was for many businesses, the first glimpse of the cloud as a productivity tool; after all, with the introduction of 365, Microsoft was cannibalizing their bestselling product, the ubiquitous Office 2013 Suite of locally run applications. We are all familiar with the old Office lifecycle, buy the license, and constantly update the product with security patches and feature enhancements, then watch, as compatibility becomes an issue when a newer version of Office becomes the standard.

With Office 365, the updates are in the cloud, the security, the hardware, the IT support, the compatibility—all of it handled in the cloud. All the user needs is a browser, on any device connected to the Internet; even better, everybody can collaborate in real-time, contact lists are synced, emails, calendars, instant messaging, (even VoIP) the entire team is on the same page no matter where those team members are. These are all reasons why this past ‘upgrade cycle’ businesses have finally migrated to the cloud-based Office 365.

Yes, with Office 365’s, Lync Online component, Office 365 can do everything mentioned above, while also serving as a comprehensive communications platform. In summary, a user purchasing a license for Office 365 is able to use Exchange for email, SharePoint for documents, but also leverage Lync for a fully desktop integrated phone system replacing legacy systems, or any current VoIP system.

Office 365 is appearing everywhere, especially now that Microsoft is offering free one-year subscriptions with a slew of new mobile devices. Couple this with the distinct business advantages, and VoIP integration, and you’ll realize it is time to contact 4 Corner IT and get started. To keep up with the latest news, follow us @4CornerIT, or come join the conversation on our Facebook page, we understand your business, not just your technology.

The Truth About Cloud Computing

the truth about cloud computing
Cloud Computing

You may have heard plenty of hype surrounding cloud computing, but now it’s time to delve into the truth.

A lot of the hype surrounding the cloud has to do with its future possibilities. Some experts are predicting the cloud to be used by virtually every consumer within the next few years. The logic being that even if they don’t have a personal cloud system, they’ll use a service that uses the cloud to some extent.

We don’t worry ourselves too much with the outlandish predictions concerning cloud computing. Instead, we focus on the cloud’s role in business today.

Cloud Computing for Small Business

The reality is that the cloud is helping thousands of small businesses with their daily operations. It levels the playing field by giving them access to the same features that large corporations enjoy.

With cloud computing, employees can access their business files from any device as long as it has Internet access. This is completely different from having to access files from an office computer. It frees up employees to work while they’re not in the office.

In addition, businesses don’t have to pay for data centers or security. Cloud computing service providers invest in these things and make the service available for hundreds of clients. This is called economies of scale, and it’s the reason why cloud computing is an affordable service even though the upfront costs for service providers are high.

So if you’re thinking about switching over to the cloud, don’t pay too much attention to 2020 predictions. Sure, it’s important to know that the cloud is expected to become even more popular and reliable. But all you really need to understand is how cloud computing will affect your business. If you’re looking to improve productivity, give your employees more opportunities to work, and secure your files, then cloud computing is the right solution for you.

To talk more about this, or anything else, please contact us. Thanks.