E-Commerce News: SaaS

Trend Micro Rejiggers Small-Biz SaaS Security
February 08, 2010

Trend Micro on Monday announced a new and completely overhauled version of its Software as a Service for small and medium-sized businesses. The new version, named "Worry-Free Business Security Services," replaces "Worry-Free Business Security Hosted," which was launched only 10 months ago.

The Cloud Is Not a Place
February 03, 2010

What exactly is cloud computing? The question just doesn't go away, and as the year starts, SugarCRM has just released a white paper -- "The Sugar Open Cloud" -- offering its definition and its argument for why its vision is superior. I am not sure about either. Full disclosure: I like SugarCRM and have a lot of respect for what they are trying to do.

Google May Cut Ribbon on Enterprise App Store
February 02, 2010

A brief stroll through the Google Solutions Marketplace shows you that the search giant is already working and playing well with others when it comes to the business of specialized business software. Need something to give your Google Calendar a little sharing and productivity boost? What about enhancements to Google Spreadsheets?

Windows Azure Graduates Into the Commercial World
February 01, 2010

Following a month of testing at no cost to customers, Microsoft's Windows Azure platform will become a paid service on Monday. The Azure platform is a set of cloud computing services that can be used together or independently on a pay-per-use basis. Originally unveiled in October 2008, the service has been free for customers during the month of January.

The Great Mainframe Shakeout
January 31, 2010

A growing number of technical and economic incentives are mounting that make a strong case for modernizing and transforming enterprise mainframe applications -- and the aging infrastructure that support them. IT budget planners are using the strident economic environment to force a harder look at alternatives to inflexible and hard-to-manage legacy systems.

Microsoft to Google: Get Ready to Get Grilled in Europe
January 30, 2010

Microsoft's top lawyer said Monday that Google will inevitably have to answer questions about its huge market share in selling advertisements linked to results from its search engine. Microsoft's general counsel Brad Smith said the search advertising market has become "the fundamental economic engine for content online" and "the gateway to content on the Internet."

The Friction in the Federal Cloud
January 28, 2010

As the U.S. federal government moves ahead with its cloud computing strategy, it may find that the real bugbear won't be technology but politics. What else would expect on the Hill? Other problems could pop up in the government's approach to security and a lack of adequately qualified staff. Can these issues be resolved?

Oracle Ropes In Sun
January 27, 2010

Oracle announced on Wednesday the completion of its $7 billion acquisition of Sun Microsystems. At a briefing on its plans, Oracle pledged to reenergize Sun's brand name, products and other assets. Further, Oracle said it will continue its commitment to open systems and Java. "We'll invest in Java One; it'll just go global," Oracle Copresident Charles Phillips said.

Plenty of Room at the Inn for Hotel CRM Systems
January 18, 2010

Pick a room -- any room. There are lots of choices of places to stay for travelers in the U.S. In fact, there are 4.4 million guestrooms across the country, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association. And that's a problem. Competitors in the hospitality sector need some kind of an edge to gain new customers and, even more importantly, to keep their current customers coming back.

The Elasticity of the Cloud
January 17, 2010

Today's podcast discussion focuses on the economic benefits of cloud computing -- of how to use cloud-computing models and methods to control IT cost by better supporting application workloads. As we've been looking at cloud computing over the past several years, a long transition is under way, of moving from traditional IT and architectural method to this notion of cloud.

Cloud CRM: Ready, Steady, Roll It Out
January 12, 2010

SaaS and cloud solutions continue to represent key drivers in the CRM market, up from 8 percent of the CRM market in 2005 to 20 percent of the market in 2008, according to Gartner. SaaS and cloud CRM solutions spurred the evolution of computing -- with no more software installations, no infrastructure management and no more upgrades to test.

2010's Key Challenges and Opportunities in the Clouds
January 08, 2010

SaaS and cloud vendors face some critical challenges in 2010: They must deliver strategic value, avoid competing on price alone, convince enterprises to move core business operations, and fend off escalating security threats, to name a few. However, the year also holds the promise of ripe opportunities.

Which Company Will Define the Next Decade?
January 04, 2010

Each of the last five decades in technology was defined largely by the decisions of one of the major vendors: the 1970s by AT&T; the 80s by IBM; the 90s by Microsoft; and the 2000s by Apple. Google is the favorite for defining the 2010s, or teen decade -- and that's a good focus for discussion as we get ready for a battle royal this week between the company of the 2000s and the company of the 2010s.

Outsourcing the Carbon Accounting Chore
January 04, 2010

Carbon accounting outsourcing could be the next big thing in the $80 billion business process outsourcing industry. Early out of the gate is FirstCarbon, a carbon data management subsidiary of global outsourcing services provider ADEC Solutions. Launched in June 2009, FirstCarbon is touted as the first outsourcing firm to allow companies to hand over their carbon reporting activities to a third party.

Cloud or Ground? Let the Customer Decide
December 29, 2009

SaaS has become an increasingly popular model for cloud computing adoption, with 68 percent of U.S. respondents in a recent study reporting adoption of SaaS at some level, and 62 percent of global respondents reporting plans to move toward SaaS in the next year. SaaS and cloud computing represent a clear evolutionary shift in application delivery and usage.

The Time Is Ripe for Private Clouds in the Public Sector
December 28, 2009

Hope was a slogan and a sentiment that played a major role in the U.S.presidential election of 2008, and hope continues to be the mindset of technology advocates pushing for cloud computing in the public sector. As a former government employee in the intelligence field, I can easily see how cloud computing can contribute to the country's security and prosperity.