ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGY
agrees: “SaaS is seeing strong demand
in the Middle East because it makes it
easy for users to sign up for and start new
services, and for developers to roll out new
applications and frequent updates as the
applications are hosted on a web server.”
Ambarish Gupta at Knowlarity,
acknowledges: “As disruptive as it is, SaaS
has also got a host of opportunities for
VARs and SIs. Traditionally, typical VARs
would sell software to their customers
and collect the payment on behalf of the
software vendor. Also, during the process,
get the channel commission for the upfront
payment, after which the order was
fulfilled and serviced by the actual software
vendor. With SaaS, the game has changed,
it’s all subscription and self-service now.
There is a lot of incentive for customers to
pay less upfront. With revenue recognition
Ambarish Gupta, Founder & CEO of Knowlarity.
Why adopt SaaS?
Ambarish Gupta, Founder & CEO of
Knowlarity, says: “I am a strong believer
of ‘think big, build small and scale fast’.
This is very relevant in the constantly
changing world of today and that’s where
cloud computing and SaaS come in, not
just for technology companies, but for all.
Key aspects on how this is possible include
the ability to build rapid MVPs with a host
of SaaS tool choices; low upfront capital
expenditure (capex) and operational
expenditure (opex); scale as you go, pay
as you go; try before you buy; no need
to commit for the long-term; faster and
instant updates/deployment; open for
integration and process automation; and it
accelerates the sales cycle and provides an
instant global presence.”
Dr Hichem Maya, Head of Industries,
SAP MENA, adds: “Middle East enterprise
users want immediate access to easy-to-use
software, which is driving the adoption
of SaaS. With cloud-based applications,
organisations can find massive cost
savings, as they no longer need to install,
maintain, or host software on-site, and can
gain business flexibility with the software
they need when they want it.”
“There are many benefits and
advantages of using SaaS, which are
16
usually offered under a bundle of service
packages, attracting businesses who
are looking for a complete solution.
However, security concerns and complete
‘ownership’ of the system remain issues
for some companies,” stresses Vijay
Jaswal, CTO – Middle East & Turkey at
Software AG. “Many users consider SaaS
because it is cost-effective; in fact, more
sustainable given there is no need for
companies to separately invest in buying
the software and the licencing, installation,
upgrading when needed and maintenance
of the hardware or the infrastructure.
Additionally, since it is accessible online,
it gives the freedom of access to various
devices, which makes it affordable as a
solution. This accessibility has proven to be
very helpful in many organisations coping
with employee demand for flexibility
and work-life balance, as it allows them
to access their software anywhere in the
world; therefore, it’s believed to increase
productivity among employees. As an
IT solution, it does away with individual
software upgrade issues and provides
a secure backup solution in the case of
computer breakdown, given that the data
can simply be recovered from the server.”
Ossama Eldeeb, Senior Manager,
MENA Partner Organization, VMware,
This accessibility
has proven
to be very
helpful in many
organisations
coping with
employee
demand for
flexibility
and work-life
balance, as it
allows them
to access their
software
anywhere in
the world.
Vijay Jaswal, CTO –
Middle East & Turkey
at Software AG.
ssue 08
NTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS