Software as a Service (Saas) is nothing new. However, there are many companies who are just discovering the market. SaaS is expected to be a growth engine for the worldwide software market in the next couple of years. According to Tech Crunch, the Saas software market is set to increase 25% in 2013 to $59 Billion. It is also predicted to hit $75 Billion by 2014. With SaaS growing and so many players on the market, who is expected to take center stage? Here are three that you will see stand out from the crowd in 2013.
Salesforce.com
Salesforce.com is the global leader is sales tracking and customer relation management. They have numerous dashboards that help track sales, marketing, and just about every other aspect of customer tracking that a business needs. In 2012, it was named as the “World’s Most Innovative Company” by Forbes Magazine.
Founded in 1999 by former Oracle executive Marc Benioff, the company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2004. It is one of the oldest and most known customer relationship management software platforms on the market. What makes Salesforce.com one to watch is that they not only control the market with their niche software, they also control it financially. They have been able to purchase competitors over the years which have given them sole control in the market. They are also financially able to weather any economy due to making wise financial decisions through the years. According to the Wall Street Journal, the company announced on January 25, 2013 that they are seeking shareholder approval for a 4-for-1 stock split. In an economy where cash is king, Salesforce.com is in charge of the monarchy.
Unleashed Software
Unleashed Software is a provider of inventory management software for business. It includes dashboards, analytics, customizable grids, POS integration, and more. It allows you to manage multiple warehouse locations and also allows for mobile access. Unleashed Software is a web-based program and can be used as an add-on for many current software programs. It integrates with software such as Magento, Vend, GeoOp, and more. They are also Xero’s longest standing inventory management add-on partner. They were also the Xero Add-On Partner of the Year in 2012.
According to a recent article in Manufacturing.net, manufacturing companies are realizing a major cost savings by switching to a web-based inventory management platform. Companies also see an increase in operational efficiency from general time saved in the deployment and overall maintenance of web-based platforms. “Companies do not have to purchase and individually install software updates to every individual server and/or desktop computer within the organization.” As many companies are realizing that there is a true cost saving in moving to such a platform, Unleashed Software will be a company to watch as they are one of the leaders in inventory management software.
Workday, Inc.
Workday, Inc. provides cloud-based applications that companies can use to organize human resources, accounting, and other employee-related activities. Integration with Workday is not an issue as they are actually out in front. They offer a “Workday Integration Cloud Platform” that allows companies to build and launch the desired features and integrations that best support their business.
Workday, Inc. is not one that would normally be on this list, except they have shown some strong support from the public sector over the last few months. Their 2012 IPO spiked more than 70% on its initial trading day and is reported to be the largest venture-backed IPO since Facebook. In an age where financial companies rarely throw their money into tech (thanks to the .com boom/bust), Workday, Inc. is bucking that trend. Prior to the financial world, Workday, Inc. earned the recognition from many major companies including Aviva, Thomson Reuters, Time Warner, and Chiquita Brands to name a few. These are some of the many companies who have come out and publicly announced contracts with Workday, Inc. Now that they have received the public funding sought, it will only be a short time before they have control of the Saas market.
About the Author: Greg Sollis is a cloud computing expert from Australia. He is a graduate of Adellaide University and has written numerous articles on advantages of cloud computing in the business environment. He is also a regular contributor for Industry News Corp.
