SCOTTSDALE, AZ--(Marketwire - November 4, 2010) - Sage North America today announced "Software-as-a-Service: Managing Benefits for SMBs," a research publication from Saugatuck Technology that identifies organizational, technology and operational skills as three of the most critical areas affecting SaaS or cloud-based business application adoption by small and midsize businesses. The Sage-sponsored white paper is available at www.sagesaleslogix.com/smbcloudcrm2.
The new Saugatuck publication is a companion to the previously released "Software-as-a-Service: Managing Key Concerns and Considerations," which found security, data integrity and customization to be top deployment concerns of SMBs -- only 8% care whether their cloud-based applications use a single or multi-tenant architecture (www.sagesaleslogix.com/smbcloudcrm1).
"Our 2010 survey research indicates that CRM is one of the top five cloud-based applications being adopted by SMBs today, and is expected to lead SaaS adoption and deployment for SMBs through year-end 2012," explained Robert McNeill, Saugatuck Technology vice president.
Sage develops CRM systems used by more than 75,000 companies and millions of individual users. Its cloud-based applications for SMBs include Sage SalesLogix Cloud and Sage E-marketing for Sage ACT! and Sage SalesLogix.
Saugatuck suggests SMBs prioritize planning and management of the following to realize benefits from cloud-based applications:
Organizational -- Organizational issues and people continue to provide the majority of obstacles to successful SaaS implementations. Training beyond simple "how to" instruction will aid adoption.
Technology -- In most cases SaaS solutions need to link with existing business systems. Effective management of internal IT resources and/or external implementation partners is critical.
Operational Skills -- While the need for software development and upgrading skills will lessen, more systems integration knowledge will likely be required. Also, a shift from capital to operational expenditures when deploying SaaS applications requires financial management adjustments.
About Sage North America
Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, a leading global supplier of business management software and services. Sage North America employs 4,000 people and supports 3.1 million small and midsized business customers. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs 13,100 people and supports 6.2 million customers worldwide. For more information, please visit the website at www.sagenorthamerica.com.
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Contact Information:
Media Contact:
Ryan Zuk
Sage North America
480-368-3818
ryan.zuk@sage.com