Hybrid SaaS and the Enterprise Edge

As the On-Demand / SaaS / Cloud model continues to evolve and see enterprise adoption, we should expect to see more " Hybrid SaaS " models that bridge between on-premise and on-demand applications... between browser-based and client-server based applications.  

Microsoft calls this "software + services" and aims to deliver a seamless experience to end users.

CollaborationMD offers their definition:

"Unlike with a browser‐based application, hybrid SaaS users install a small application onto their computer. Once the program is running, it appears to the user as a normal Windows application; however, all data requests travel over the Internet to the software providers’ data center. One of several unique advantages to this application includes its access to the user’s local hard drive for real‐time data caching. This proprietary data caching, not available in browser‐based programs, allows the program to locally store commonly used data for instant retrieval of information without delays caused by Internet traffic, resulting in increased office efficiency at significantly lower costs."

Source: thanks to Gary Smith at The SaaS Network and CollaborateMD

 

Comments

[PaulSweeney]

This client approach is a relatively unspoken area of SaaS, particularly as the approach died such a death before the iphone etc. I can tell you that companies have a lot of problems getting their data SaaS ready, and with "windows in the amazon cloud", it might not be that long before we wonder what all the fuss was about.