Years ago, much of the Tech industry’s efforts focused on developing packaged software for business applications purchased by copy, or multiple license copies, and installed on organizations’ in-house computer systems. The process of upgrading to newer versions and updating in-house systems proved to be a disruptive process, fraught with frequent costs associated with the purchase of newer versions, and inconvenient installation down-times that generated unwelcome barriers to a company’s ability to be agile and responsive to constantly changing competitive environments. Today much of the interest and capital investment in the software industry is occurring in Software as a Service.
Software as a Service (SaaS), a software delivery model purchased through a license arrangement and accessed by the user through the web based internet cloud, promised to resolve many of the complexities of on-premise applications. Today the SaaS delivery model is the preferred method for office and messaging software, management software, virtualization, infrastructure, platform and desktop software.
Gartner projects the SaaS market will grow 19% this year following a 20% increase in 2017. New and Mature software firms are reinventing and disrupting the industry. The move to cloud-based SaaS subscription software has made software more affordable and accessible, but many of the challenges of customer usability remain. A recent survey of over 500 business and IT executives by TrackVia revealed that a lack of customization, mobility functionality, limited integration and compatibility was having a negative effect on the growth of businesses across the spectrum of commerce.
A new generation of SaaS application platforms is taking aim at the enterprise software paradigm by promising to simplify and speed up application creation, configuration, integration and deployment for enterprise software. These new low-code platforms are predicted to grow from $3 billion today to $15 billion by 2020 according to the technology analyst firm, Forrester Research. The traditional enterprise software market is struggling to keep up with businesses’ growing demand for faster, more agile and mobile solutions.
The greatest challenge is with slow application development and deployment, too little customization, and difficult integrations with other applications. According to recent research, current software solutions still don’t address businesses’ top priorities or pain points. In fact, today’s slow and inflexible enterprise software often hold businesses back by forcing companies to change operations and processes, which negatively affects enterprise agility and growth.
“While this migration to the ‘cloud’ in the form of SaaS addressed some of the distribution and financing hurdles associated with enterprise software, it failed to fully address the more fundamental end-user challenges,” says Julie Gareleck, CEO of Junction Creative Solutions (Junction). While eCommerce is expected to reach $4 trillion by 2020, the systems behind eCommerce are evolving as users demand the ability to transact in real-time with their customers.
Junction recognized the need to provide Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions to its clients. “As online purchase behavior shifts, it’s critical to understand the purchase path. Junction invested in developing a Custom SaaS Platform that its clients are able to customize and white label as their own system,” said Gareleck. “Benefits for our clients include a cost-effective approach to an otherwise costly platform and improved time to market. Our experienced team of developers and designers is able to roll out custom solutions in 3-5 months as opposed to lengthy development cycles of 12-18 months.”
Having a partner who understand trends in technology and who has the capability and agility to modify a system to meet customer demand is critical to developing a successful SaaS strategic engagement. The fatal mistake that many entrepreneurs make is assuming that once the site is live, the work is done. The reality is that the process takes consistent, ongoing effort to ensure that the technology works as the client’s business scales.
For more information on how the Junction team is experienced and adept at building and fully implementing smart and customizable digital platforms, call 678.686.1125.