SaaS Developer | Web Developers

Should you commit to a SaaS vendor without knowing the features they are offering? One needs to consider several things before committing to one of them.

When building a SaaS application, one needs to consider several technical aspects to ensure meeting of customer expectations and business needs.

1: Multi-tenancy

The SaaS application must support multi-tenancy so that it is seamless to use with multiple developers working on it. It is frustrating to have one person at a time working on the application. The single tenant applications also pose security risk where one might tamper into the code of another tenant. One of the main reasons to select a SaaS platform is multi-tenancy.

2: Zero-downtime setup

One can get away with downtime if you are working with internal applications. Many providers would tell its users to deal with it, and they will have no choice absolutely. On a SaaS model, customers know that the downtime for a year can be measured in minutes. The responsibility rests on efficient system and networking teams. Developers might also cause downtime but that is a case when things are already planned for.

Third-party services are sometimes down with loss of functionality in some cases. There might be a downtime because of upgrades and patches or because the debugging process is on. Server restoration also eats up time. SaaS applications do not have backup time for downtime.

3: Whether to commit to a vendor

The ideal applications in a SaaS model will help you to easily scale your application especially if it is a cloud vendor. This part gives ample freedom and flexibility with vendors. If a VM is offered with other services, one can use them in this regard. Scaling is not trivial always, which means it would involve system administration to some extent.

One can use cloud frameworks such as Microsoft's Windows Azure which can be automatically scaled up and offer geographical dispersion. But they tie you deeply to the vendor. They can be deployed locally with any type of vendor. But if the choice was not good at first, you will have to live with it unless you decide to rewrite the code.

4: Technical alignment with business

If an application is deployed in an organization, one need not worry about the technology. But for SaaS applications, one’s own business might create constraints for technical design. Resource usage is one such area. If the scaling process is not done at the same rate then one might have a big problem. Your application should be accurate in reporting the basis for metering when having an application for billing.

5: Scaling

Many applications do not scale well on some platforms. Not many platforms are designed to handle different scenarios like multi-tenancy and load balanced servers. These applications need to have a strong layer between data and application so that the data can be scaled up and down without affecting business logic and the presentation layer. Business logic should be provided with the help of APIs so that it enables connectivity between the systems of the partner and the customer. Not all applications will support these parts, but when developing SaaS applications, they are virtually mandatory.

Delivery models are many and keep changing with times. With the cloud app development scenario, SaaS is getting huge importance as a delivery model.

Nowadays software-as-a service (SaaS) is one of the most prominent delivery models and most companies are vying to provide these services. It has achieved tremendous popularity as a successful model although there are many traditional software vendors who are still trying to avoid the wave.

With time, many companies have conceded using cloud services and have started adopting the technology. Almost all types of solutions, especially Customer Relationship management systems, accounting systems, Marketing systems and specialized project management systems are now SaaS based.

Here are some of the reasons why SaaS is successful and expected to carry the success in the near future:

Vendors’ Responsibility: The Software vendor is responsible for the management of the software as well as the hardware options. The vendor has to check on data redundancy, backup and recovery and the like. The software upgrade is to be done regularly in specific periods.

Ownership: The charges of a SaaS model are set according to the price per user per month and hence the firms need not pay extra money for any of the modules which are not used by them. One has to take care of the maintenance and overall administration costs involved with the software. SaaS implementation and customization involves less costs than that of traditional software along with a low TCO

Scalability: SaaS offers magnificent scalability for using the said software. One is free to use a part or full software for your own purposes. The program access is easy and economical.

Regular Upgrading: The regular upgrades of the software are essential to amalgamate new features. The users need not put much effort in upgrade of the applications.

Easy Access: SaaS-modelled applications can be accessed from anywhere in the world with a web connection and a web browser. This provides users to access the application from home or even on the go from their own smartphone. The accessibility is of real time nature and is synchronized across applications located in Laptops and smartphones.

The SaaS model is much more advantageous than any other software delivery model because it does not have any overheads and promotes faster deployment of applications. One can easily grasp the essence of each application located in any SaaS system in the world in a trice.

SaaS includes predictable costs and one can set one’s own infrastructure budget as per one’s needs. One can stick to any budget and then scale the resources up and down as and when required. No charges are levied for emergency security patches while there are no compatibility issues whatsoever here.

SaaS has been largely instrumental for helping companies to get rid of the losses and survive the recession. Many companies preferred a SaaS implementation for controlling on costs as well as expenses. Many companies provide custom SaaS application development services and leverage their industry expertise in the true sense. SaaS model can be integrated with existing applications and can be made accessible. The deployment is hugely simplistic while the acquisition costs are very much down. The approach of "pay as you go" subscription licensing model helps companies to plan on regular costs.

Hiringweb developers is tricky since it is difficult to assess their expertise at the outset.

Every company in web development is bent upon highlighting the benefits but one needs to be extremely conscious and alert while picking and choosing a web developer. One needs to keep a hundred things in mind before opting for a web developer or a team of web developers to get some tasks done.

Web developers are known to complete several automation tasks and rely on a particular engagement model for completing their tasks. Many other professionals are experts in internet marketing entities including search engines, automation, rankings and web accessibility etc. Every company in web development domain tries to convince its audience to convey that they have the best services in town. Hence, it becomes difficult for a client to judge whether it should opt for a particular company or not.

One wrong decision in choosing the web development provider for revamping your website might prove to be costly in the end. Not every web development company that is out there has a worthy team to fulfill all the development tasks with precision. Every client has specific business requirements which they need to accomplish through automated applications. One can try out with mini-projects for a specific time. One has to work on the demands and spend more money depending on the needs. In short, a dynamic website is always more expensive rather than a static website.

Service provider companies provide different testimonials of existing clients. One can go through a list of web development companies and check if they provide services similar to the nature of a company that you need. A section on testimonials always will give an idea about the projects that the company has completed. Additionally, one should also check if the site is updated with their latest skills and hiring of new developers since that would mean that the company is growing on a steady note.

The team that handles a software development project should include web developers who are adept in what they do. They should be adept in the latest technologies and have the ability to have a keen mind to help you to get to the next level. The web developers need to be sure of what they do and the way they handle issues in an assured manner. The budget is also a concern here. A fixed price engagement can get over the top since requests might come after a certain point of time too. It is necessary to have the clauses in place or opt for a time and material engagement model. The technologies that the provider is offering should be aligned to the needs too. It is good to have a web development company offering web development services in multiple technologies.

Additionally, since some companies opt to cross-verify the information of the vendor’s site, it is good to call up their clients straight about the nature of services rendered by the vendor and confirm about the credibility of the services. Their satisfaction would mean a lot in giving you an assurance about the credibility of the company and their expertise. The stature and credibility of such vendors is a huge boost to your faith too.

SaaS has encapsulated the IT industry in a short period of time and has made a distinct impact in delivery methods.

Cloud computing is method of computing which relies on shared resources which are all available on demand, just like it is available for people from the electricity grid. This delivery model for IT services is extremely popular and since recession looms large any time during these volatile economic conditions, SaaS is the way to go for many enterprises. The resources are dynamically scalable and virtual which are available online. The physical infrastructure is not available to the client since the resources are rented by a third-party provider. The services are available for consumption as and when needed.

PaaS refers to platform-as-a-service which refers to the storage and hosting which is delivered online as a chargeable service. Hence developers find development and deployment of apps easy since they do not have to worry about the cost and complexity of the procurement and management of hardware, middleware and software. Google App Engine, Microsoft Azure, and the like are examples of PaaS.

Cloud infrastructure services are sometimes referred to as IaaS where the entire infrastructure, is provided as a service without having to procure and configure servers or any other equipment. The entire service is referred to as utility computing and the entire consumption of services show the activity. IaaS refers to virtual servers which are entirely leased by providers like Amazon and Rackspace.

Here are some of the types of SaaS solutions:

Business Utility SaaS includes apps like Salesforce automation which are used by many companies for data collection and management. The applications also help in managing collaboration and actionable analysis. CRM and HR portals are examples of these business utilities.

Social Networking SaaS includes social networking apps like the immensely popular Facebook as means of sharing information, photos and the like.

Some Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solutions are created different from each other. One needs to study the PaaS solutions before choosing the platform which suits one’s needs. The most famous platforms are Amazon Web Services and Rackspace. One can upload software stack traditionally and then run applications on the entire infrastructure. Some of the most popular web application platforms include Google Apps which offers multiple and useful functionalities for developers to build services based on mapping, calendar and even the dynamic spreadsheets.

Business Application Platforms including WOLF provides a big layer of abstraction and aligned towards transactional business applications like workflows and online databases. Analysts can develop complex business applications with a custom UI with lesser technical effort and low maintenance.

Now here are some of the general types of IaaS solutions. Cloud IaaS providers deliver various types of services including:

Storage Computing

Testing and Development of Apps

High Performance-based Computing

Resource Sharing and Virtualization

There are public clouds and there are community clouds. Public clouds are those clouds which deliver resources on a self-service basis online. These services are efficiently delivered by third-party providers who share their resources on a utility computing basis. A community cloud on the other hand by organizations who are interested in similar things and requirements and also willing to share their resources.

Then there are hybrid clouds which are extremely popular. The organizations always choose to leverage their existing investments in their own infrastructure. Furthermore, many companies prefer to have critical data under their own hood for enhanced security.

Many western countries require offshore software development and web development providers. An offshore web development company with ample experience and expertise is the need of the hour.

Most western companies are interested in offshore web development providers who can provide quality and affordable services related to E-Commerce Solutions, content management and portal solutions. They are required to create custom Web services too based on the requirements of various clients across the globe. Along with development services, companies ask for customization and deployment services too.

Many offshore companies provide custom web development services at affordable rates but the expertise varies from company to company. It is necessary for companies to make use of emerging web technologies with optimum effect. These companies take up web design, web development, content writing and SEO projects and charge reasonable for the services. Most software development companies are doing well with the outsourced work in.

It is important for vendors to have satisfied clients in different countries to make the right impression. The most successful web development projects around the world have been completed by those who have been in the industry for long. It is important for clients to look out for vendors who are experienced and are experts in web development. The cost effectiveness of their services including designing and development is also important.

With the changing business and technological scenario, one needs to strategize and rethink their business along with the intended customers. The collaboration and communication levels have changed drastically with the advent of the mobile technologies. Most companies have hence become catalysts of change and promoted web development through the mobile medium. It is also being seen that mobile app development has taken precedence over traditional development of desktop applications although web development in the form of mobile version of websites continue to dominate the arena.

Companies in western countries need result-oriented development teams which comprise of competent consultants, creative designers, adept developers, smart SEO Experts, dynamic content writers and marketing professionals to achieve success. Most web development vendors require their own offshore centers to fulfill their clients’ objectives. Extensive customer support is also required to deliver complete client satisfaction.

Most apps created as part of the development process are mission-critical and hence vendors are required to deliver the design on time and within budget. Even though there is a lot of different between the strategies opted by companies for delivering turnkey web solutions, it is important to opt for companies who are willing to walk the extra mile.

The websites should be unique and eye-catching, and designed with sense of perfection with the latest web designing tools thus allowing clients to represent themselves in the global arena with pride and vigour.

Ideas need to be changed to reality while also following the all-important ISO Standards. The companies should have a technical goal of providing robust solutions for diverse industries and for multiple clients.

Reputed web development companies now even opt for cloud computing solutions and web hosting services. The new players in the tech arena are keen to lower operational costs and infrastructure costs for their clients since both expertise and costs matter a lot during these recession times.

The subscription business model has become very popular over the years with SaaS implementations taking over the IT world.

In a typical subscription business model, a customer must pay the relevant subscription price to for making use of the product/service. This model is popular in various IT companies as a mode of delivery and was first pioneered by several tech magazines and newspapers. SaaS is now used by many businesses and websites.

A subscription business sells periodic use to the user and gives access to a product or service for the stipulated period only. It can also include sale of tickets which allows the user to view an entire season. The subscription model dwells on a recurring sale so that it can create strong brand loyalty. Users are tracked in both scenarios: when they subscribe and when they unsubscribe.

Renewal of a subscription is mostly on a periodic basis and hence most of them are recharged automatically. Most users deduct a pre-authorized charge to a checking account or a payment card to pay up for the subscription. In the US, recurring card charges need to be issued to the user before 10 days of each charge.

The subscription model is used in websites by the name of freemium model, where content is provided free, but there are restricted premium features which can be accessed only by paying subscribers. The subscriber-only content is said to have closed access.

Businesses benefit through the model since the revenue is predictable and constant from subscribed individuals. This reduces uncertainty and even makes the enterprise risk-free. It allows all types of customers to get greatly attached a specific service. One can extend the mutual agreement for a further time period after the current agreement expires.

In most of the integrated software solutions, the subscription pricing structure revolves around recurring subscriptions which provide much more revenue than simple one-time purchases. In some subscription schemes, most subscribers are not given the choice to accept or reject an issue. Customer acquisition costs are reduced then, which also allows for personalized marketing. Most software companies create systems which can manage and track subscriptions.

A vendor knows the currently active members who are interested in their product or service. A subscription involves an agreement which facilitates better customer service. Alternatively, some benefits can be gained through greater customer inertia and a dedicated customer base who are ready to purchase rather than opt out.

Consumers also find subscriptions good enough if they buy a product and get to save money for the time-being. Subscriptions are used by support clubs and organizations for better service. Much of the software used by such clubs dwell on subscription based licenses.

An unlimited use subscription especially for software is advantageous for consumers. One who wants the service more than frequently, might find subscriptions to be tedious and costly. The commitment to opt for subscriptions might get more expensive whereas a single purchase might have done the trick.

Additionally, subscription models help in vendor lock-in, and consumers might refrain from paying after a point of time. Subscription models allow specific amount of information from customers which might also raise privacy concerns sometimes.

Web application development is in huge demand today. There are several patterns of market visible today.

A web application includes software which runs on a web browser. The implications of using a web app are huge and trendy according to the current market trends. With the help of web apps, any type of business can refresh their business strategy and achieve success in the web.

With the help of web apps, most startups have been able to carry out business transactions in a simple and secure manner. Companies always try to promote web apps to promote their services. Those web apps go a long way to determine customer loyalty towards the company’s services. With the use of web application development, all types of companies mostly get what they deserve and usually work according to a strategic plan. A number of web apps have helped several companies to reach the zenith in their industry. Web application development helps businesses to gain the necessary competitive edge in their industry too.

With online businesses ruling the roost, web application development poses a fantastic opportunity for a variety of businesses. Web apps help businesses to run smoothly and help in marketing promotions and helps analysts and marketing managers to further strategize their business based on online results and marketing operations. Web apps in turn help in generating fantastic returns, profits and revenues.

Custom application development is in constant demand and the web apps are tailored to the needs of the company. There are companies which want their prospective customers to prefer a brand. They start by launching an online poll with the help of a powerful survey web app. The necessary information is then collected from the survey results and based upon them, the marketing strategy is decided. With custom web application development, the developers are required to automate definite parts of online business and focus on the core aspects of business processes.

The basic concept of web application development is based on web application design. Web application design is an integral aspect of web application development and takes care of many visual elements which render a distinct appeal on the overall theme and approach. It is important that the web app be as professional and appealing as well as engaging to the user.

In short, a web application needs to involve the user positively in creating profits from online business. The appeal is very important here. The concept is very important here to pull the audience and prospects. A web app designing company is the perfect vendor to develop web apps tailored for a company’s needs. Your business team will implement the web apps personally for your need.

The development company needs to complete ideal pre-requisites for qualifying as an independent entity. The company needs to have adept developers in place to complete a development project. The required skillsets for developing applications varies from project to project. The project also needs to be delivered on time and on budget but most importantly, they need to be without any bugs. Conclusively, web app development gets more productive and profitable depending on how one promotes their web apps to their customer base and get a meaningful experience from the developed apps.

SaaS providers are coming up in tandem and many companies are opting for SaaS web apps too. But is it worth it?

Here are some of the major disadvantages of on-premise software:

Waste of development talent in maintaining old versions

Waste of development talent in porting to multiple platforms

Multi-platform support constraints for innovation

Long release cycle times

Lack of intimacy with customers and user support

Customers don't upgrade due to lack of awareness

SaaS providers are time and again creating support software-as-a-service development which can leverage existing Web services into enterprise-grade SaaS applications. It is easier to build and deploy SaaS apps from scratch. Additionally there are various providers who deliver specific functionality which is required for certain apps including CRM while some provide a comprehensive SaaS platform where one can make use of their apps online on a monthly rate.

SaaS web applications are easy to use and applicable for every business who wants to save on money related to IT infrastructure. They are easy to manage too and are quick to get up and start running. Custom apps can be hosted on a SaaS platform too and all types of apps can work and run seamlessly without worry. PaaS (platform-as-a-service) eliminates the need of installation, maintenance, and upgrades for the user making the whole process simple and easy. Developers can now focus on innovation and creation of apps without having to worry about the overall infrastructure. Here are some salient features of SaaS web apps and the platform:

One size doesn’t have to fit all: SaaS apps can be tailor-made according to needs and hence can benefit diverse companies on grounds of superior ease of operations. It also helps in enhancing overall productivity thus delivering increased ROI. Traditional apps carry overheads related to licensing fees and maintenance. They even require technical support and comprehensive data security options. SaaS web applications serve a fantastic alternative to traditional applications.

Enlarged offerings: There are vendors who provide complete SaaS based solutions and a platform for you to host web apps along with traditional applications. One does not have to switch to other vendors and make the most of the existing infrastructure and resources. The ISVs and HSPs can cater easily to budget tight companies by scaling the resources up and down.

Trouble-free upgrades: SaaS application customization reduces functional complexities. All maintenance and upgrade troubles are responsibilities of the vendor. One does not have to worry about new software installations or even that the data should match the upgraded infrastructure. SaaS applications can easily upgraded any time.

The future technology and approach: More and more industries are keen to use SaaS based solutions for a plethora of reasons. Low cost associated with hosting solutions and no upfront investment for IT infrastructure helps a lot of companies to save on costs. SaaS platforms boast of high data security, multi-tenancy, all this and much more which raises the bar of productivity due to anytime access of data through authentication. Such solutions also aid in quick strategy making and swift decisions. The right solution provider for SaaS app development is a must for making SaaS implementations work for any company.

The changing trends in the IT sector have helped many companies to start capitalizing on the needs and boost profits. But as the truth stands, the best can survive.

The corporate IT organization has got up and going after the dot com bubble burst in 2000. Many companies had reduced their IT department staff to cut costs which was not going to work since automation was one of the prime reasons why companies could be profitable. By offshore software outsourcing and web development, companies opted to share their work with specialty providers who could work at reduced rates. The offshore web application development model has helped many clients as well as providers to work cost-effectively.

Developed countries are happy following the lucrative outsourcing policy although unemployment is on a high in those countries. Skilled technicians and developers are hired in the eastern world at reduced prices and a virtual infrastructure meets their requirements. The IT companies have cropped out of nowhere to make the most of the current scenario, especially in India and other Asian countries.

Many of the companies are always looking for experts in programming languages like .Net, Java or PHP who can easily create custom applications tailored to their business demands and needs. There has been a fantastic response from clients who are trying to upgrade their applications to .NET so that they can benefit from the new and improved features.

There are many offshore web application development companies which can assist in non-core tasks if the company belongs to another sector other than IT. There is a better chance that western companies prefer offshoring their tasks so that they get high quality at cost-effective prices. Hiring web developers at a full-time basis helps considerably on the financial front and hence there are many virtual workers who are hired to do non-core tasks for a company.

One needs to see that the shortlisted selections of providers should not be haphazard. The vendors in outsourcing destinations like India should be checked thoroughly for their background and other characteristics like communication skills and technical expertise. Good quality work and experience in the industry is crucial.

The web application development provider is required to be adept with the latest technologies. Expertise in open source technologies and CMS like Drupal and Magento is perfect too. To save time and effort, one can reutilize similar app code for swifter response time. Most web application developers have an inbuilt strategy to create standard web applications using the coding that they have already done for different modules for another client.

The eastern countries boast of a huge pool of talent who are hard-working and cost-effective compared to their western counterparts. Different types of companies and their different needs required different solutions but sometimes the base is the same. Offshore software development providers always strive to make an impression so that they are proved to be indispensable.

It is evident that offshore web application development can help out several companies across the world for profit-making. Here are the typical benefits:

One can concentrate on core business activities and outsource the non-core ones

Employ in-house staff for creating business applications

Use custom solutions which are tailored to typical requirements

Obtain independent analysis for each of the services provided by the vendor

Better ROI and reduced TCO

SaaS implementation services have gone through a drastic change recently. It is expected that SaaS and cloud computing are going to rule the market in the near future.

SaaS products were first born as point solutions and the most prominent startups in those times were UpShot and SalesNet. They were application-specific solutions which met specific needs of different businesses but were largely unappealing to the average customer. These providers had average products up their sleeves with limited resources and hence their ideas bombed. The market gradually gave way to new ideas to implement SaaS solution and better products were offered which gave the original companies a tough competition to survive.

The performance of Salesforce.com, the largest provider of SaaS services in recent times is open testimony of how SaaS has grown over the years. The company reported $13.8 million in revenue in the fourth quarter which is an astounding sum in itself. The total revenue stood at $289.6 million which was reportedly a 34% hike over the previous quarter. Salesforce has reported strong earnings throughout the year too.

Recent reports by Forrester and other research agencies also pointed out that SaaS is projected to rise by more than 20% in the coming years. The SaaS market is now expected to grow faster in US and the whole western world since after recession, companies are wary to invest in infrastructure and hence prefer SaaS solutions and cloud platforms which can be scaled up and down. Most lean companies who have employee strength of less than fifty employees would never be keen to spend on licensed software and heavy infrastructure which would necessitate additional maintenance costs and high upgrade costs.

SaaS ERP and CRM solutions are both in demand since the SaaS applications along with PaaS (platform as a service) and IaaS (infrastructure as a service) solutions are projected to have the highest demand.

SaaS has been instrumental in helping companies to combat the ongoing recession. The companies opted for a SaaS implementation to keep a tight leash on the costs as well as the overall expenditure. SaaS applications have helped people to meet their IT requirements as well as save on additional costs. There are many companies who provide Custom SaaS Application Development services and are perfect with technicalities because of their vast experience with several domains. Most companies require SaaS integration for their existing applications so that they remain accessible in the cloud. Also, PaaS solutions like AWS help companies to save on platform costs. The deployment is vastly simplified and the customer acquisition costs are greatly reduced. Most services offered by SaaS implementation include a "pay as you go" subscription licensing model which help companies to plan out their costs in advance.

Recently analysts mentioned that SaaS is the best medium to save on costs during the recession through Salesforce and hence the company has managed to boost its revenue in spite of the odds. SaaS can surely make a mark in the IT industry under a difficult economy through accurate implementation and deployment. It is necessary to make the most of the investment here. Additionally, the existing IT infrastructure can be leveraged to the optimum level too.

Should you opt for a traditional setup of ERP in your enterprise or should one trust the power of the cloud and invest in the emerging software-as-a-service (SaaS-based) ERP solutions?

There are innumerable options in both scenarios and both have benefits and risks. On-premise setup helps your business to meet your needs, however broad they are. The on-premise market segment is prevalent in the market since long and is unquestionably well-developed and based on sturdy grounds. However, the corporate world is fast giving up on on-premise ERP solutions because of the cost involved. Hence the decline is expected to continue. Forrester Research, Inc. the eminent research company has projected on-premise ERP sales to decline considerably by 2.5% from 2011 to 2015.

In sharp contrast though, Forrester has reported that the SaaS ERP market is expected to grow by leaps and bounds with a 22% compound average growth rate till 2015. SaaS web apps which are in huge demand too are on the rise.

One reason why businesses opt for SaaS is because of the immense scalability benefits. The ERP spend can be adjusted accordingly while the computing capacity can be scaled up and down based on requirements and budget. The changes can be implemented due to market shifts too. In contrast, once an ERP license has been bought, it cannot be refunded. SaaS also aids in administration and the ERP vendor is responsible of its security and safety. Thus, SaaS helps companies to spend more time focusing on core activities rather than troubleshooting IT problems.

Additionally, SaaS vendors levy a recurring subscription fee on a monthly or quarterly or annual basis. This fee gives the right to access the software but absolutely no rights are transferred or take possession of any software.

But some analysts also claim that there are some loopholes and business continuity risks in the SaaS concept which can be avoided by using on-premise ERP. With SaaS, companies have to deliver their critical data to the vendors, who store the data in different repositories. ERP is actually a company’s nervous system which is controlled by somebody else in this instance. Companies are always hesitant to relinquish control and hand over data to an outsider. Some of the basic characteristics of SaaS solutions include:

1. The solution must provide on-demand self-service

On-demand service is a major aspect of SaaS services. A cloud user should be able to readily access SaaS web apps as and when needed without human intervention.

2. The solution must be capable enough to provide broad network access

The user should be able to connect from anywhere without the need of a standard device and anytime of the day.

3. It must provide resource pooling.

One user or multiple users should be able to share computing resources simultaneously without much difference in speed and performance. SaaS solutions always follow this “multi-tenant” model of accessibility.

4. The SaaS ERP solution must be rapidly elastic.

This means that computing resources are always available on demand. If the demand increases, additional capacity can be allocated swiftly without any overheads and wastage of time.

5. SaaS solutions must be measured services

The cloud provider always needs to keep track of its service and usage. They are required to monitor and optimize usage too.

Software as a Service (SaaS) which became a viable delivery model from 2000 to 2003 surely ranks among IT companies as one of the most efficient modes of delivery. SaaS web apps are in huge demand today.

Essentially SaaS generically applies to three types of services: SaaS, PaaS and IaaS. SaaS involves renting application functionality rather than buying the software. Salesforce.com is one such example which offers a complete application suite. There are services like MessageLab which tailor their offerings according to your operational infrastructure.

PaaS (Platform as a Service) is all about providing a platform for applications to be developed upon. Microsoft Azure and Amazon are some of the platforms that exist in this space. Database management, security and workflow management are some of the facilities which are provided. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) involves the offering of storage space and processing power on demand.

The SaaS makes use of the concept of virtualization in the context of server partitioning. The SaaS web apps market has grown considerably in recent years with cloud computing cited as the preferred means of IT setup and configuration for many mid-sized companies. SaaS is expected to cover 25% of the overall business software delivery market. There are some offshore companies who provide expert advice and implementation solutions to ward off the impediments during the transition.

A recent Springboard research survey revealed that out of the total audience which included Asia-Pacific SaaS users more than 35 percent of them were interested in using SaaS based ERP solutions for their organizations in 12 months. About 20% of them used SaaS ERP solutions. The research included an audience of 530 CIOs and decision makers of various industries.

The SaaS based ERP market and SaaS web apps market is predicted and projected to rise from US$35 million in 2008 to US$193 million this year too. Most analysts predict that the SaaS market will grow faster in Asia especially in India and China. Most SMBs (small and medium-sized businesses) in US are leaning towards SaaS solutions and this is true for all mid-sized companies which comprise of about fifty employees and are wary of spending on licensed software.

Custom SaaS application development involves low investment and this has proved favorable for different companies since they now have the liberty to try out newer applications without having to invest in infrastructure and resources. In most countries, diverse industrial companies and IT organizations are already accepting SaaS as their business delivery model so that there are no legacy issues. Already, adoption of SaaS and cloud computing is critical to more than 11% of the government agencies, as revealed by a survey conducted by ScienceLogic LLC which included many government employees. The percentage of users is expected to double up this year.

The majority of deployments involving SaaS web apps continue to be used in small initiatives except in small and medium size businesses (SMBs). In SMBs, there are trends wherein vendors are providing diverse SaaS capabilities to support more technological processes, including integration with different applications and third party apps especially for large projects. For tailor-made solutions catering to particular company needs, custom SaaS Application Development services are required. It is essential to opt for a platform, infrastructure or software solution as a service as required from vendors offering expert solutions.

Web developers

Web developers and web designers are seldom mixed up with each other’s profiles. But the job responsibilities are diverse for each other. Web developers A Web Developer actually a software engineer who creates applications for the web.

The applications include server and a client. There are various web development languages which are currently used by web developers including Java, C++, C# and VB.net which are used on the server side.

There are some scripting languages which are used too such as PERL, VBScript and PHP which are popular too. Javascript, DOM, HTML and CSS are some of the languages which are very popular on the client side. There are various database technologies which web developers utilize MYSQL database, Oracle and SQL Server.

The best document data transfer medium is XML which is most preferred by developers. Most web developers go through formal education and training and a bachelor’s degree is a common requirement for most job positions. Expertise in relevant languages is a must.

Those who do not have previous web development experience start out as interns and create components or specific modules for web applications with constant guidance from their seniors. Some of the web developers start out by taking contracts of small web development projects.

They can continue to within a development role or opt for a Software Architecture role, which involves complex, high-level design. After some years of experience, web developers can become project managers based on their interests.

Web Designer

A Web Designer is the one who designs and places the different web components in a website. Web Designers have to balance the look and feel with the web page functions. Website accessibility is of prime importance on different browsers and by anyone and everyone.

Web designers do not require higher education but a marketing background along with a professional degree in designing is helpful. Web design can also be self-taught and one can train oneself in styling the web pages and to use HTML codes. A certificate program or advanced degree program related to designing is useful for a Web Designer.

They can start out with internships or small consulting projects so that they get adequate experience to land up with a full-time job. Web Designers do not generally start out being web designers. Instead they might start with administrative duties and later take up web design duties as needed. Web designers are hence self-taught and trained by the routine tasks that they are assigned. Complex tasks including action scripting which necessitate formal training and courses. Most companies hire designers based on their experience by first assigning small projects and then big duties.

A Web Designer may progress in the field and then attain seniority in a company. They may also progress within a marketing communications function, depending on their skills and interests. A Web Designer and a Web Developer are totally different professionals. Web developers work more on the server side and its configuration while a web designer will have to learn additional programming languages for mastering the skills. They basically use design-based applications for creating smart corporate designs and layouts like Adobe Photoshop, CorelDraw, QuarkXpress, and others.

Web application development has come of age recently. There are fantastic vendors who can offer software services at cost-effective prices too!

Offshore Web application development has witnessed a drastic rise since the advent of recession in 2008 which broke out in the US. Computers remained idle due to the cost-cutting phase while the owners realized that it was difficult to get things done in the country itself. Many companies in the western countries realized that outsourcing IT and non-core tasks are their only chance to get back to profitability. Nowadays, there a plethora of companies who are actually working with offshore software development firms and there are many others who have outsourced most of the work to India or China. There have been instances when some companies have burnt their fingers due to software outsourcing. Nevertheless, the low costs involved works as an added incentive for most firms. Outsourcing benefits most of the companies because vendors usually use their own infrastructure and hardware and even their own workforce for providing the services. There are no overheads involved due to hiring of workforce, installation of applications or hardware. Most vendors in India and eastern countries are good in communication and collaboration. Moreover, there are companies who are willing to work round-the-clock which gives the US companies an advantage of a 24-hour working schedule and virtual workers for the whole day literally! Some of the salient features of Web application development are:

Flexible IT services combined with cost-effectiveness

Custom tailor-made solutions offering personalized remedies for different problems

Skilled workforce and talented virtual workers

No overheads involved for hiring in-house team

Clear documentation and transparent timeline working system

24/7 customer support and maintenance of existing application

According to some analyst reports, 40% of Fortune 500 companies have opted for outsourcing their non-core tasks and the list has grown since then. Many companies have cited low costs and decent efficiency helps in yielding the best ROI ration by outsourcing the work. Savings have always been in the range of 40%-70%. It is not easy to choose an offshore software provider since the effort demands good synchronization between client and the provider. Proper knowledge of English and communication strategies is important for the success of any type of Web application development outsourcing project. Indian companies are found to be adept in documenting the required solutions and many even offer additional support for maintaining the developed applications. The work quality and efficiency is always in part with international standards and one can even hire developers and software engineers who are well-versed in more than one programming languages such as PHP, JAVA, .NET, Ruby on Rails (ROR) etc.

For most companies, IT’s main objective is to maintain enterprise wide software and maintain the company’s hardware. They rarely have the resources or capacity to handle one off applications that they’ll then have to support. Even if they will build you a custom solution, the backlog can be months or even years and even then, since it’s not their primary focus, it may not be exactly what you want.The Knowledge Center is arranged according to client needs within each vertical sector. Its unrivaled design and functionality is available as a premium Subscription Development Services, giving immediate and unlimited access to our wealth of market intelligence reports, briefs, profiles and interactive models, as well as the latest updates, news and unbiased opinion.

When looking for a custom software solution the obvious instinct of many may be to go through their own corporate IT department. IT should have a good feel for the business need and more importantly will be there to support whatever they create. In fact, if you can get this sort of custom development done by your corporate IT then it probably makes a lot of sense. However, this option is seldom available in a reasonable time frame.

Likely the most common approach managers take to building custom software is to hire contractors. The typical template involves bringing on 3-4 of these programmers-for-hire for 3-6 months to produce a custom application that fits the requirements. This approach has some obvious upsides. Often the contractors are working at your location so they can be managed more easily and you have the ability to see the app being built so you can ensure it’s headed down the right track. The downsides, unfortunately, are also rather apparent. Business managers are skilled at managing their business and usually that business is not managing software implementation projects. This means the manager is overseeing something that he or she has limited or no experience in. Furthermore, even if everything goes perfectly and the software does exactly what you want it to do; nobody in the company knows how it works. If it ever breaks or if you want to update it then you’re stuck and have to start the entire contractor process over again.

A third option to purpose driven software development is working with a turn-key provider. Turn-key providers are companies that handle the entire development process from design to deployment and into maintenance. These companies are US based and are combinations of business consultants, software developers, and graphic designers. They work with you to solve a business problem and design software to fill that need. Furthermore, some of these providers will host your application in the Cloud to prevent you from having to purchase and maintain costly hardware or worry about complex integration issues. The upside is providing a turn-key, hassle free approach to providing custom solutions to business managers. A possible downside of turn-key providers is that since they host your application, migrating away can be a time consuming process.

Multi-tenancy and SaaS (Software as a Service) applications have grown in stature and have become exceedingly common. Hence there is a need to make use of such apps in different ways to manage today’s IT needs.

Companies are in the lookout of applications which can be simultaneously used by a host of users without affecting its functioning. The applications need to be in accordance with the internal organizational structure and should lower the deployment costs too. A low cost and flexible architecture is the need of the hour. But there are problems associated with multi-tenant applications too.

Multi-tenancy is a fantastic concept in IT which means that a single copy of an app is in use with multiple sets of users (tenants). There is also the concept of multi-instance architecture, where each set of user can simultaneously work together but in separate instances of the software. The application is partitioned into “silos” so that each of the tenants can access a private instance of the application easily.

For a SaaS application, tenants can experience the advantage of using a particular application exclusively but save considerably on costs by having a shared service. There are particular disadvantages with each of the approaches though. Clients are mostly concerned that data is not secure enough with the use of virtual partitions. This concern must be addressed by the cloud owners independently.

Access control data and user accounts should be separate of each and every tenant but resident in one central application. This poses access control challenges too since any system which is integrated within the application needs to be shared with each of the clients.

Multitenancy needs to meet two criteria here:

The data should be protected from other tenants since the risk of data disclosure is usually greater with such applications. The users should know that the private data is secure enough. For this a robust Access Control system can isolate the client’s data for maximum level of protection. They should provide the feature to define and manage the tenants and their user accounts as members of a tenant. There should be certain data access restrictions imposed on each of the tenant too.

The other criteria include delegation of administration privileges. Owners of critical information should have the right to decide on the users who can view or modify the information. Each client should be able to assign access rights for each and every user.

Access control systems should be able to delegate security administration to different managers as the need arises. They should also protect data confidentiality and integrity. The access control systems should have features related to data availability preservation. Data should be accessible readily even though it is well secured. The administration features need to be made accessible to each and every tenant.

Multi-tenant applications are mostly used covering multiple sites. The administration rights need to be assigned in a flexible manner irrespective of their technical skills.

The two main solutions for this include custom access control systems and visual guards. Access control systems can help users to draft their own security policy and assign user accounts. The options should be scalable for different clients. Security is also a top priority here. Visual Guard on the other hand is an access control system that is compatible with multiple architectures. A user group hierarchy can be defined and each of the clients can be assigned to a group. The same security options are applicable for all clients here.