If you manage IT, you’re already aware that SaaS can become a huge competitive advantage.

Software as a service (SaaS) rocks for lots of people but especially those who are somewhat allergic to costly software that generally impedes with the “modern” tech lifestyle were, among other things, several computers and platforms are used to access information and get the work done.

Throw online social networking, web-based intelligence gathering and “always on” high-speed net access to the mix and SaaS becomes even more relevant for smart IT strategists who tend to think “outside” their comparatively limited corporate realm.

So, why is SaaS so important, at this point?

Because the rise of open source programming languages like PHP and rock-solid database engines like MySQL (among others) make it possible for more people than ever to code applications which can be distributed, accessed and used from any “connected” device, as long as they’re properly authentified.

This flips the “software application” model on its head.

ERM, ERP, CRM, SFA, BAM, MRP, WMS and many more are now being offered online using the SaaS model.

A typical SaaS application required that users be properly (and securely) authentified. Then, once logged-in, different levels of “service” are made available so that work can get done… all without the need for more than a simple web browser!

From word processors, spreadsheets, email management and scheduling applications to online video games boasting expansive communities, SaaS is gaining ground so fast that it’s reached the point where being both “online” and “productive” is not only merely possible, it’s the new “standard”.

For an IT strategist looking to lay down a credible agenda towards the development of truly engaging technologies, SaaS means that users can basically access some “core application” from wherever they want, when they want it and with whatever device they prefer.

Thanks to SaaS, the IT side can (finally) focus on what’s important: the application!

As software as a service gains ground over the “software-only” solutions, IT strategists will have to think about the many opportunities that stem from this model since the online realm provides for countless inventive ways to mashup internal data with external “live trends” or, more generally, any other type of data getting generated elsewhere.

Of course, many software-based solutions still work just fine but information management and sharing sure flies online, especially within SaaS application frameworks.

As an IT strategist -but also- as a corporate manager, allow yourself to see SaaS for what it is: a fine technological opportunity to grow your business at a time when the world is moving towards much greater connectedness.

Tags: saas, software as a service, online services, online applications, software, web software, web browser, browser-based software, it, information technology, it strategists, it managers, it directors, deciding to move data online, web-based

In mid-May of 2008, just a few weeks back, HP‘s CEO Mark Hurd announced an agreement to buy EDS for $13,9 billion and stated that it fulfills their strategic objective of expanding in the services area.

This is major news because this agreement means that HP’s and EDS’ combined revenues reaches a whopping $38 billion a year, a bit behind IBM at $54 billion but clearly ahead of Accenture at $21 billion.

According to the merger plan that’s been released, EDS CEO Ron Rittenmeyer will lead a new organization called “EDS — an HP company” and report directly to HP’s Mark Hurd. EDS will still employ 210,000 people but Wall Street is abuzz with rumors of downsizing.

While HP’s IT services unit was already managing P&G‘s global consumer products’ tech operations (a 10 year, $3 billion contract, started in 2003), EDS brings blue-chip customers to the table, such as American Airlines, Bank of America and Royal Dutch Shell.

So EDS’ vast vertical and operational expertise which is especially strong in the financial services, health care and government sectors could finally help HP break into the IT services major leagues. The biggest threat to the success of this deal might come from HP’s somewhat “computer and printer” culture that’s still (proverbially speaking) lightyears away from SaaS, cloud computing and other new-wave IT trends for which EDS has proved to be more comfortable with.

HP hopes that with EDS now on its team, big multinationals will look to outsourcers more often to collect, secure, integrate and deliver software and other IT resources over the web.

Of course, the future will tell if giant system integrators, like HP’s newly acquired EDS, will still be required at a time when the SaaS and cloud computing super-efficient duo are removing complexity from many IT activities, across the board.

Tags: hp, eds, operations, merger plan, it, it services, saas, cloud computing, outsourcing, it resources

While it’s still a common belief, among the general public, that IT companies in India are nothing more than sweatshops, the savvy Canadian business people know the reality is closer to the other end of the rainbow — the technology powerhouse side.

India is already offering IT services that compete with the world’s best and brightest. The information technology outsourcing revolution is well underway, with India being the clear winner. As if this wasn’t enough of a blow to the “local” IT job market, more outsourcing “ideas” might become viable alternatives, for all sorts of companies.

For instance, what if a company’s CEO was fired to be replaced by a tactical team of 10 Indian PhDs with complementary knowledge? Would that be a good thing, for some companies? It seems a growing number of decision makers “in the West” are considering these kinds of alternatives.

Predictably, it doesn’t stop with the CEO but it goes down to command chain as well. When the workforce pool is suddenly upped by tens of millions of university graduates, Western workers risk being evaluated to see if their job couldn’t be done “on the cheap side”. Since the outsourcing trend towards India isn’t limited to IT anymore, expansive cities like Bangalore stand to gain the most.

In today’s Indian employment marketplace, a 15,000$CA IT worker is considered the professional equivalent of a 90,000$CA worker, in Canada. Mathematically speaking, it’s easy to understand why the outsourcing for computer-related tasks has gained such momentum, over the past few years.

So here’s the big question: how can Canada stay competitive in the face of such a qualified, yet affordable, workforce?

More education and ongoing training are two smart ways to keep our workers “attractive” for the most lucrative employers. Furthermore, government policies protecting the “domestic innovators” from global threats, including the outright theft of their hard work, is another pillar we need to build up in order to survive the massive influx of talent being brought, by India, to the worldwide pool of qualified labor.

In the real world, the Canadian government is currently doing very little (if anything at all) to protect its domestic innovators from India’s clear and present “outsourcing dangers”. Some people from Canada, who are familiar with this matter, consider this to be a treason to our workforce.

Getting educated about how India is reshaping the IT industry, all over the world, should help understand what’s in store for many other lines of work, in Canada and everywhere else.

Tags: india, outsourcing, information technology, it, jobs