top saas app challenges: which one is yours?

Highlights of our 2015 survey

Survey results for software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies:

Top SaaS App Challenges:Which One Is Yours?

© 2015 Progress Software Corporation. All rights reserved.

Marketplace: SaaS subscription revenue is increasing

*Source: Forrester Research, Inc.

Revenue is significant and growing, roughly doubling from 2012 to 2015.


Marketplace: Analysts predict SaaS market size will grow

Source: Forrester Research, Inc.

Public cloud market is HUGE and SaaS is the biggest opportunity.

Total Public Cloud Markets (US$ Billions)

~$80~$130SaaS

BPaaS

PaaSIaaS


About the 2015 SaaS Survey

Progress DataDirect conducted a global survey to explore top challenges for SaaS providers.

Respondents included:

• Product managers

• Developers

• Architects

Community.Centrify.com

CloudTimes.org


Survey question: What type of SaaS application(s) do you provide?

Highlights

BI/Analytics apps were the most prominent at 47% CRM in second with 41%

(a surprise since CRM has typically been first) Continued growth of types of SaaS apps


Survey question: What makes your SaaS application(s) valuable to customers?

Highlights

SaaS value primarily comes from helping customers provide a better product/service

Top two categories “Faster Time to Market” and “Improves Productivity” are related, both coming in at about 70%

Other feedback: “More successful customers and more revenue”


Survey question: When working with clients and prospects, which of the following challenges or objectives do they seek your assistance with?

Highlights Most critically important need was “Needing to leave data in

place, but still be able to do cross-system, cross-cloud analytics” = 43%

Most critically and very important need was “Consolidating a diverse set of unintegrated applications” = 85%

Integration between applications appears to be a pressing challenge

Summary: Customers want help with many initiatives from their SaaS providers


Survey question: Which of the following is your SaaS application(s) currently integrated with?

Highlights Wide variety of apps that integrate with SaaS apps BI/Analytics highest came in at 78% CRM, HR, and ERP each came in at about 50%

Summary: Customers’ top challenge is the need to “Consolidate a diverse set of unintegrated

applications”


Survey question: What are the biggest integration drawbacks and challenges for your SaaS application?

Highlights Top 3 challenges all involve SaaS apps needing access to

other apps/data Nearly 50% specified dealing with “On-premise

customer enterprise applications” and “Customer legacy applications behind a firewall” as the biggest integration drawbacks

38% cited “…complex integration efforts…” as the biggest problem


Survey question: What are the biggest integration drawbacks and challenges for your SaaS application?

Highlights Top 3 challenges all involve SaaS apps needing access to

other apps/data1. “On-premise customer enterprise applications” 50%

2. “Customer legacy applications behind a firewall” 50%

3. “Not enough IT support available for complex integration efforts” 38%


Survey question: How is data from integrated applications accessed by your solution?

Highlights More than 60% import data into their SaaS

application Or nearly 40% replicate data to their SaaS

application SaaS vendors still have a very real need to integrate

with other data and apps In many cases, data still needs to be moved or

copied


Integration with customer on-premise and legacy apps is critical• Legacy data isn’t going away any time soon• Importing and/or replicating data is still very prevalent

Key takeaway: The SaaS vendors who address the challenges identified are the ones poised to retain customers and grow their

businesses.

The big Aha! moment

For more information:http://forms.progress.com/DCI-ISV-connectivity

top saas app challenges: which one is yours?

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