SaaS a viable option for IT implementation for SMEs

Pragati Simlote

NEW DELHI: IT already accounts for a significant part of the cost of an automobile and this is expected to only increase in future. Every organization - small, medium, large - can use IT to reduce costs and improve processes, but the high cost of IT implementation is stopping SMEs from implementing it. Stand-alone IT solutions are costly and therefore, solution-hosted applications are an answer for SMEs. These combine the power of IT enablement with the use of the Internet and provide solutions on a shared-investment on a software as a service (SaaS) with pay-per-use model.

According to Zensar Technologies Ltd deputy MD Ganesh Natarajan, "IT should also proliferate to SMEs and should not just remain the prerogative of the large organizations. IT is expensive, requires high investment, is time consuming and requires specialized resources. If SMEs have to buy a large ERP, the problem after buying it is how to find people to manage it. Managing IT becomes more of a headache then investing in IT itself. Today everyone is talking about SaaS, which is really the whole commoditization of IT."

Explaining the concept, Natarajan said, "With SaaS, SMEs can literally get services like ERP, etc. on tap. They don't have to buy licenses and are also not compromising on quality of software and support, but are actually sharing an application, which they are using for their own purpose. So they are using the power of IT and Internet on a shared model and are not paying for the software but are paying per use - paying per transaction. This is the opportunity that I strongly urge you to look at - not buy but rent it."

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