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COVER STORY ■
choice. Similarly, HP’s entire range of busi- human resources must be taken into
>>
ness technology optimisation products is account. That’s why Saaspoint has started
now available via SaaS or in-house deploy- a new practice to cover this area. Pullen
ment with the option of migrating between acknowledges that the model often repre-
the two. “For example, an organisation sents a new way of working, which can
may want to start with a SaaS offering for involve frontline staff inputting data much
their service desk in order to get up and more frequently than they did in the past.
running fast with a lower time to value. He is adamant, however, that CIOs shouldn’t
Once the solution is established and staff fear SaaS. It plays to IT’s strengths by
trained, they may then choose to bring it turning routine elements of technology
in-house at a later date,” says Turley. into a utility, freeing up time for those in
SaaS’ supporters have been quick to charge of technology to take on a more
seize on the high percentage of traditional strategic role. “Initially, the IT department
software project failures as a way to make would stand in front of a SaaS provider
the case for their own model. Customer and try to block entry. Now, it’s embracing
fears about problems with legacy integra- SaaS because it’s growing so dramatically.
tion are unfounded, they claim. According Your IT manager needs to have experience
to Pullen, embarking on a SaaS project can of SaaS as part of his portfolio.”
often highlight silos of information within Not everyone believes it’s so cut and
an organisation. “On a recent project, we dried. Joe Baguley, chief technology officer
were able to pull legacy information from with Quest Software Europe, argues CIOs
13 different systems and present them in need to think about their future IT strat-
Salesforce as a single overview of the egy very carefully. Moving to SaaS could
customer. So it has major advantages, but be a quick win, but at the expense of
there is potential resistance within an longer-term goals. “You’ve got to have one
organisation over this because of the prob- eye on the future; you need to think about
lems it exposes. However, at the end of the what you’re doing with your infrastruc-
day, the business sees the benefit because ture,” he advises. “If it was me, I’d be look-
it ends up with something it can use very ing very closely at the integration points
quickly.” that the vendor can provide. If I get a web
browser, how’s that going to help me
import data into my financial system? You
Security concerns
could be working yourself into a corner.
Recent high-profile data breaches in It’s all wonderful from a balance sheet per-
Ireland and abroad have thrust informa- spective, but what about from a technical
tion security firmly under the spotlight. perspective? There’s a lot of ways in which
Could the prospect of having potentially it’s a great thing, but you need to think
sensitive data hosted in the cloud be a about the long term and a three-to-five
sticking point? Not so, says Mulcahy. “It’s year timeframe. That’s what a proper CIO
probably one of the safest ways of storing should be doing.”
a company’s data. You walk into most Despite the ambitious pronouncements
companies and the data security environ- of
Salesforce.com founder, Marc Benioff –
ment they have wouldn’t compare to what who takes delight in promising “the end of
a SaaS environment can provide.” software” – a more realistic scenario will
Brennan says security is one of the key be one where SaaS lives side by side with
principles underpinning the SaaS model. on-premise applications. Pullen envisages
Cusp Point recently became ISO 27001 that a hybrid approach will emerge. The
certified and is starting on a series of fur- majority of standard IT applications – the
ther stringent security audits. “We think ones that add little value – will be deliv-
that’s going to become a requirement of all ered as a service with the rest maintained
SaaS providers. It’s a big fear: is my infor- onsite. “Those kept onsite will be around
mation secure? Is it in a secure data cen- the 20-30pc mark and they will be the
tre? These questions should get transpar- things that make the business unique. The
ent answers back from anyone providing a firm will want to keep its intellectual
SaaS service,” he says. “You cannot have a property around what makes its business.
chain of custody of a document in your Everything else will be a utility, much like
office and then you get it hosted by an water, electricity and gas,” he says.
external provider that does not have secu- Ultimately, Pullen believes the simplicity
rity certifications.” of the SaaS model will win over doubters.
As with any major technology project, “In the old days, you had to build the train
there’s actually a lot more involved than and the tracks if you wanted to get from
simply swapping some infrastructure. Dublin to Belfast; now you just buy a ticket,”
According to Pullen, there is a cultural he says. It could be time to start forming
change required and ‘soft’ factors such as a queue.
September 2008 Knowledge Ireland 31
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