SaaS
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sector and product category. Some areas are maturing faster than others, particularly where SaaS is clearly linked to operational efficiency, collaboration, workplace management or customer engagement.” Jordan Hobday, director, sales UK enterprise at Netgear, adds that growth is strongest in organisations with lean IT teams, such as professional services or retail. “In sectors like financial services, where compliance processes cause friction, the pace is much slower,” he says. “Across industries, SMBs need technology that saves time and simplifies operations. One dashboard gives lean IT teams greater visibility and control, while predictable pricing makes budgeting easier. As more business moves to the cloud, they can scale and stay productive without adding tools, overhead or complexity.” Changing expectations But as SaaS continues to mature, customers’ expectations of what they want from a solution is evolving too. “SMBs are looking for SaaS solutions that are easy to adopt, simple to manage and clearly connected to business value,” says Morten. “They want flexibility, predictable costs and solutions that can scale with their business without adding unnecessary complexity. “SMBs increasingly expect SaaS to be part of a broader solution rather than a standalone subscription. They want software, hardware and services to work together seamlessly. They also expect easier billing, clearer consumption models and better tools for managing renewals, usage and value over time.” Anthony Dobson, regional director, sales for Arrow’s enterprise computing solutions business in the UK&I, notes that as SaaS estates grow, customers are asking harder questions about what they have, what they are using and what it is delivering. “Integration and security are part of that, but so are licence utilisation,
cost and the ability to see across an increasingly broad estate,” he adds. Jo Holliday, general manager, UKI and South Africa at Acronis, agrees that features and ease of use matter, “but customers also need to know that essential applications will remain available, protected and well managed,” she says. “For an SMB with limited IT resources, it is worth considering how a service fits with existing tools, who can access its data and how that data could be recovered. Those questions should be part of the purchasing conversation.” Kevin Hallmark, head of global distribution at Huntress, says SMBs are looking for rapid time to value, predictable costs, interoperability with existing tools, responsive support, and clear ownership between the vendor, partner and customer. “Expectations are changing because AI is accelerating the pace of product development,” he adds. “Customers are beginning to expect software to improve continuously, automate routine work, surface useful insights and adapt to new risks without adding complexity. The best SaaS experience is not another dashboard. It is a measurable business or security outcome delivered with minimal operational burden.” AI impact Kevin adds that AI is changing how SaaS products are built, how users interact with them, and what risks they must address. “It is accelerating development and raising expectations for more intuitive, continuously improving products,” he says. “AI can help SaaS applications summarise information, identify patterns, recommend next steps and automate repetitive work. At the same time, AI is expanding the threat model. Organisations need visibility into which AI tools are being used, who is using them, what data they can access, and whether they create new paths for exposure or abuse.” But, as Joel Burnett, head of customer
Contributors
Christian Nagele
inforcer.com
Morten Boll
midwichgroupplc.com
Jordan Hobday
netgear.com
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SMBs are looking for SaaS solutions that are easy to adopt, simple to manage and clearly connected to business value.
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