back to article No, software-as-a-service won't automatically simplify operations and cut costs

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) is sold to line of business people as a way to get the applications they need, without all the hassle, time and expense required to have an IT department build and run an application. But while off-the-shelf SaaS can do an awful lot for a business, doing SaaS well needs ancillary tools that SaaS …

  1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Windows

    What do you mean, it doesn't "just work"

    Stop pissing on the parade, El Reg!

    1. Bitbeisser
      Devil

      Re: What do you mean, it doesn't "just work"

      So if it DOESN'T work, does that qualify as FaaS (Failure as a Service)? Do you think there is money to be made by offering THAT?

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    If it sounds to good to be true …

    Reminds me of how, as a young and very green pre-sales support person, I had to fight off DP managers who believed that they could save millions by replacing their mainframe with a $100 Z80 …

    1. James 51

      Re: If it sounds to good to be true …

      They could have, just couldn't have done very much with it.

  3. James 51

    HR and marketing types have learned not to to send their best people to liaise with IT

    Not just over stuff like this, even when they need to do something HR related it is the lowest ranked member who knows nothing and doesn't have the authority to order lunch who is sent and emails back with the answers (you hope to the questions you ask).

    1. Whitter
      Trollface

      HR and marketing types have learned not to to send their best people to liaise with IT...

      HR and marketing types have best people?

      Who knew?!

      1. VinceH

        Re: HR and marketing types have learned not to to send their best people to liaise with IT...

        "Best people" is just PR-speak for "least worst people"

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What SAAS vendors don't tell you, we've now got you by the short and curlies so watch your renewal fees rocket above the rate of inflation.

    1. Otto is a bear.

      ROI

      How else do you expect us to meet our VC ROI and still sell out for a mega profit.

  5. Velv
    Boffin

    Green Grass

    The grass really IS greener on the other side.

    But remember that just means it needs cut, watered, fed and generally maintained much more.

    1. John Tappin

      Re: Green Grass

      I have a grass upkeep as-a-service if you like - very reasonable

      1. Rich 11

        Re: Green Grass

        I have a grass upkeep as-a-service if you like - very reasonable

        Does it involve me handing over a fistful of dollars just to persuade you to once a month spray the grass with your watered-down diarrhoea?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Green Grass

          One is Gartner, the other is Gardener. Not the same.

          1. Alistair
            Coat

            Re: Green Grass

            Oddly, much of Gartner's output would be highly appropriate for the Gardener's warehouse.

    2. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: Green Grass

      "The grass really IS greener on the other side."

      Which side are you looking from? From the vendor's side the the greener the better amongst all those HR & marketing types with credit cards.

  6. Dr Who

    There's more - much more

    From off-the-shelf SaaS to something that works for your business and it processes will need a *lot* of expensive consultant time to configure, customise, script, integrate with other systems, migrate data, retrain and support users etc...

    In this respect SaaS is no different to on premise. SAP in the end became famous mainly for its monumental implementation and customisation costs (nearly killed Lego) and things like SalesForce are no different.

  7. Version 1.0 Silver badge

    SaaS

    Let's face it - while SaaS has many nice features, the way it's sold and implemented in many case makes it appear to be just more snake oil, designed to separate the punters from their money.

    1. Tom Paine

      Re: SaaS

      Don't confuse the pointing finger for the moon. The /marketing/ may be largely bullshit, but not all SaaS / cloud stuff is pure snake oil. Gmail is a cloud app, for instance. So is Wikipedia -- according to our CASB, anyway...

  8. Otto is a bear.

    Don't forget

    Data Escrow, once they have your data, how do you get it back when you decide to change vendor, or have a dispute. They can shut you off, and close your business down if you don't meet their contract terms, which are based in a tax haven of their choice. So don't for get exit clauses.

    What do you mean, they wouldn't do that.

    Some very wise tech SMEs I deal with, do not rely on the good will of their 'X'aaS vendors, but use multiple cloud vendors, and keep copies of their data

  9. HmmmYes

    Saas will fix fix some known problems and create some as-yet unknown problems.

    Overall, itll be a benefit. But the complexity is lurking somewhere; its not gone away.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM)

    "...EMM improves on MDM by creating phones-inside-phones so that BYOD can access SaaS from a special secure zone. If a phone goes missing, or an employee goes rogue, you can wipe that zone and leave their happy snaps alone."

    Is there a consumer or small business version of this? Above & beyond all of the encryption I've turned on my Android phone, I'd love to have an additional "wall" for sensitive data & selective remote wiping.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "IT departments therefore need to work hard to show relevant expertise when they learn of SaaS "projects."

    But please, whatever you do, don't mention your relevant expertise around confidentiality, integrity and availability. You'll just interfere with the sales process.

    Let's be real, the very last thing a SaaS wants is a competent IT department involved.

  12. 123stu

    Ha Ha .. i'm in IT

    I'm working with a customer who have purchased a number of SAAS offerings and they are just realising that the hype wasn't true.

    That they do impact on infrastructure networks and that some do have end user device pre requisites. Best off all a vendor will change them which may affect all of the above.

    o joy !!

    They thought it was on the internet / the cloud and all ills would be removed for ever, I'm waiting for a cloud evangelist to claim they can solve world hunger as long as it's on the cloud ...

    Don't get me wrong some offerings are great .. but some are not and when users/procurement buy offerings without IT people getting involved it can go all pear shaped

  13. Tom Paine

    ...he also warns everyone not to rush into SaaS just because it's the cool new thing.

    Wait. This is /GARTNER/ saying that??

    Are you _sure_?

    PS not sure SaaS can be called "the cool new thing", it's been around (as a marketing schpiel for email security and the like) for a decade at least.

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