|
With the turn of every new year, speculations and trend projections are rife, and our domain is no different. I came across a report by CMS Watch about take on trends in SaaS Web Content Management for 2009. It is especially interesting to see what this year has in store for content management, with so many forces coming together in a big way - the growing popularity of the SaaS model, and the recession bearing down on businesses across the board.  Let's take a look at some predictions for this year, with our bytes added:- 1. Customers Want More Than Just SoftwareThis year, with sizable chunks of everybody's budgets having dissapeared, customers are going to be looking at more than simply the software. Customers will be looking for providers who are willing to do that bit extra, and remain more deeply engaged. Providers who provide business consultancy, free training and ongoing assistance in design and deployment will be favored. SaaS companies like HyperOffice who have free training and added consultation services built into their models will have an advantage. 2. Vendors Turn More to Implementation PartnersAccording to CMS Wire, "With customer needs expanding, vendors look for more help from implementation partners and systems integrators for such services as custom development, CMS implementation and customer support, moving away from the more traditional in-house model." I infact, expect a sub trend in the exact opposite direction, especially in the growing business segment, which will be looking for software that allow them to deploy and customize solutions on their own, without the need for much expertise, rather than having to depend on third party experts. In, in fact, has always been one of the cornerstones of SaaS solutions - simplicity of use.  3. Vendors Pay More Attention to Developers' NeedsAccording to CMS Wire - "With changing customer demands, open APIs represent a long-term trend among SaaS vendors. Not all customers want to outsource their Web development. Developers also want more flexibility as to access and tools they are able to work with."  If you want to read the report, you can find it here (its paid). Alternatively, you can find a commentary by CMS Watch expert Jarrod Gingras.
|
