PARTNERS ’ PERSPECTIVE develop some domain expertise and industry specific specialisations .
SaaS solution providers that are able to deliver industry-specific , data-driven analytics will be best positioned to succeed in this business . Another differentiating factor will be the services packages offered by SaaS partners .
Already , the market has seen finance and supply chain lines of business start to not only see the immediate value that the cloud provides , but it ’ s also seen as a secure business environment with e-commerce gaining grounds by connecting vendors with suppliers ( B2B ) and customers ( B2C ).
Given that Oracle , SAP , Microsoft , Infor , Epicor , Sage , and Focus Softnet , all
It ’ s critical that channel partners evaluate SaaS offerings based on business functionality , features and most importantly , understanding their end-user customers ’ IT infrastructure environment .
offer on-premise , cloud and hybrid SaaS solutions , it ’ s critical that channel partners evaluate SaaS offerings based on business functionality , features and most importantly , understanding their end-user customers ’ IT infrastructure environment . Implementing a SaaS solution just for the sake of it is a recipe for failure .
For enterprises that require business applications for example , ERP is the lifeblood that courses through business operations , from sales , marketing , finance and HR through purchasing , production , inventory management and service . The solutions must integrate with nearly every system and business process . And because of this , it ’ s important for resellers to grasp that SaaS solution and integration and implementation can be lengthy , and a major consideration for any channel partner trying to implement the system on behalf of the client is to ensure return on investment ( ROI ) is achieved .
That said , the biggest opportunity is for channel partners to serve as trusted advisors in integrating SaaS solutions and services with breakthrough technologies such as AI , Machine Learning , Blockchain and the Internet of Things ( IoT ).
Going forward , I have no doubt that demand for SaaS solutions is already rising in the MEA market especially in the areas of HCM , payroll and accounting and procurement management . Business application vendors on the other hand , will continue to push cloud-based applications with embedded analytics and AI functionality in the market . All of these I believe will help cloud-based EAS solutions to grow at a much faster rate than traditional onpremises solutions thereby opening up more opportunities for solution providers in serving the MEA SaaS market . •
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