Strong SaaS ecosystem prevailing in Asia

NEW DELHI (INDIA)/SINGAPORE: SaaS vendors, ISVs, telecom and hosting providers in Asia are coming together to create a powerful SaaS ecosystem that will accelerate the technology’s adoption in the region, according to a research report by Springboard Research.

Pure play SaaS application providers such as Salesforce.com, NetSuite and WebEx, new age SaaS enabling technology and infrastructure providers like OpSource and Jamcracker, established system integrators and technology providers like IBM and Microsoft, application hosting service providers like WebCentral and Kaz, and telecommunications service providers such as Tata Communications and Telstra, comprise the SaaS ecosystem landscape in the region, says the report - “SaaS Enablement - The Emerging Ecosystem”.

“As enterprises become used to buying software as a service and as more and more ISVs step in to fill demand for additional applications, the importance of a robust SaaS ecosystem will grow,” said Balaka Baruah Aggarwal, senior manager of Emerging Software for Springboard Research.

Many SaaS vendors are building ecosystems to broaden their offerings and to create a portfolio of integrated business applications through partnerships with other ISVs. Salesforce.com’s AppExchange, IBM’s SaaS Showcase, WebCentral’s Application Marketplace and Jamcracker’s Service Delivery Network are all positioned as marketplaces for on-demand software applications.

These ecosystems aim to attract ISVs with a range of incentives that include access to technology, infrastructure and customers.

Citing the examples of Tata Communications in India (which tied-up with Microsoft to sell communication and collaboration software as a service to SMB customers) and Telstra (through its subsidiary, Kaz) in Australia, the study says that telecom companies have started participating in the SaaS ecosystem as it provides an opportunity to expand their offerings to enterprises.