I've been reading a lot about Software as a Service (SaaS) recently and find myself getting quite excited by the whole business model.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia...

Software as a Service (SaaS, typically pronounced 'sass') is a model of software deployment where an application is hosted as a service provided to customers across the Internet. By eliminating the need to install and run the application on the customer's own computer, SaaS alleviates the customer's burden of software maintenance, ongoing operation, and support.

There is a bit more to it than this of course. The description above could be of application service provider models that failed to take off in the past or current more successful hosted solutions. SaaS has some is more than these. Multi tenancy is a key feature, it's not just the same software that you would install on your network but on a remote server. Ease of ownership, ease of use, rental model, no recurring software maintenance costs and only one vendor (everything is wrapped up in one monthly fee).

The idea is particularly attractive in these troubled economic times for many reasons;

• there are no hardware costs
• no ongoing internal IT support costs
• no set up costs (a true SaaS model has self sign up)
• try before you buy
• predictable recurring costs
• scalability (down as well as up)
• and on and on

We have had an offering based on the Pepperio platform (not quite SaaS yet but getting there) for some time but we've not really bought into the model from a sales perspective. We have been more focussed on our main client base.

These days, however, even the size of client we have been more used to dealing with should consider SaaS as a provision model for their WCM implementation. The functional capabilities of the SaaS WCM is no different to the on premise alternative, it is easier to scale, there are no upgrade projects to finance, no technical staff to recruit and retain, no web development company to try and contact whenever you want to do something simple and we can see great examples everywhere of SaaS success.

Jarrod Gingras at CMSWatch has written an article discussing the trend in SaaS WCM provision for 2009. In his article he talks about how the SaaS market for WCM has grown over the last year and predicts further growth next year. One point he makes interested me particularly. He talks about the vendors route to market - via partners. He points out that many of the potential partners are not geared up for the ongoing support element of the service which customers expect and that, therefore, buyers should be careful who they buy from and vendors who they partner with. It made me think (in a gloating, boastful kind of way) that Mimtech are ideal partners for such services as ongoing support is a core competence for us, it's what we have done since we started (and actually for a long time before that).

For the last year we have had such a partnership with Pepperio under the brand PepperSmoothie and so far so good. Now with Pepperio's future a little uncertain due to acquisition (this all sounds a bit familiar) we are in talks with other providers most notably with Wildfire Technology Ltd who will launch their very impressive SaaS WCM early next year. SaaS as a model is gaining enthusiasm all the time, particularly in the US and it's now the right time for many organisations to look at this lower (predicable) cost solution that puts the authors in real control of their web sites. Roll on 2009. 

We've always played on the fact the we are vendor agnostic and independent from the WCM companies we partner with. Sometimes it's not an easy space to occupy with some vendors being less than comfortable with the arrangement due to numerous perceived 'conflicts of interest' - mostly brought about by their paranoia and blind faith in their 'best of breed' product.

For us, becoming agnostic simply made good sound commercial sense. Afterall, when we started trading almost three years ago we were a 100% Obtree C4 house and what with its end of life in sight (there, someone finally said what everyone knows!) if we hadn't adapted, our own end of life would be fast approaching too.

Now we're actively supporting clients with WCM solutions and developments in Immediacy, Sitecore, EpiServer, Pepperio as well as RedDot and good old soon to be departed (oops, said it again) Livelink WCMPS/Obtree C4. 

Simon has blogged many times about our WCM to WCM Migration offering, MIM:Switch. It's very exciting for us that the MIM:Switch toolset is now being used in anger for the first time at a major UK organisation to assist in their move away from Livelink WCMPS/Obtree C4. Which solution are they moving to? They/we don't know yet but that's not important... we're vendor agnostic! 

The PEPPER smoothie website went live on Friday 16th May.

So what is PEPPER smoothie?...

Simply put, PEPPER smoothie is on demand web content management for business websites with zero upfront cost. Supplied via the Software-as-a-Service business model users simply pay a fixed monthly service fee to use our solution, built in Pepperio by Mediasurface (or should that be Alterian?), to manage their business website.

And what of the creative process talked about in previous posts?...

Let's just say that the website features juggling balls, spinning plates and a first for the sector (well, at least I've not seen one used elsewhere before), a Video MC - go take a look at http://www.peppersmoothie.com.

Today Mediasurface announced that their board has agreed to sell the entire stock to Alterian plc. A notification on the Mediasurface web site reads...

'Recommended Offer by Alterian plc for Mediasurface plc

The boards of Alterian and Mediasurface are today pleased to announce that they have reached agreement on the terms of a recommended offer by Alterian to acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Mediasurface.'

The notification goes on to assure Mediasurface customers (which includes users of Morello, Immediacy and Pepperio) that their service will be unchanged.

Mimtech look forward to working with the new enterprise.