SAAS FOR SMBS
At your service Demand for Software-as-a-Service solutions are growing among small- to medium-sized businesses and as technology advances demand is only set to grow for the foreseeable future – which provides opportunities for resellers.
For many small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) digitalisation is an ongoing process, but many are looking towards solutions that can help them become more efficient. To this end, many are now looking at Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions to achieve this. “We’ve definitely found that the demand for SaaS is growing among SMBs,” says Joe Tully, marketing manager at Adventoris. “This growth is down to a range of factors including cost-effectiveness, scalability and flexibility. Also many SaaS solutions now offer easy integration with other business tools and services such as enterprise resource planning systems, streamlining operations and improving efficiency across the board. What’s not to love?” Anthony Dobson, regional director, sales for Arrow’s enterprise computing solutions business in the UK&I, agrees, adding that it is the inherent flexibility of SaaS that is so attractive to SMBs. “It allows them to scale resources according to their needs, without the substantial upfront investment in hardware and software infrastructure needed for these types of solutions,” he says.
“User-friendly, secure and easy integration are the key qualities that SMBs are looking for in their SaaS solutions. Interoperability with existing applications and platforms such as their CRM are important. To minimise the risk to their organisations, SMBs are also looking for solutions that address compliance while ensuring they are always protected by the latest security solutions.” Chris Shaw, UKI&SA country channel manager at AvePoint, adds that SaaS is in high demand for SMBs because it allows them to do more with less. “They can pay and scale as they go to be more agile in their go to market plans,” he says. “As access to technology has become easier, we’re finding a willingness to embrace it and see if the proof is really in the pudding. CoPilot for Microsoft 365 is a great example of this – because there are tangible, quick impact use-cases, organisations of all sizes and industries want to invest.” Paul O’Riordan, VP and head of medium business UKI at Sage, adds that demand is growing in sectors such as ERP/financials, HR and payroll. “This surge is driven by the flexibility, scalability and cost-effectiveness,” he says. “These solutions help SMBs operate more efficiently and reduce IT costs without large upfront investments. Additionally, the shift towards remote work and digital transformation is fuelling this growth, allowing SMBs to manage operations from anywhere, enhancing agility and responsiveness.” Impact of hybrid Joe notes that there is increased adoption of SaaS solutions due to the shift to more remote and hybrid work. “This is driving demand for collaboration tools, project management software and communication platforms,” he says. “With our SwiftCloud customers, this shift to more remote or hybrid working formats has certainly impacted how B2B sales are completed. Traditionally, a lot of businesses would rely on physical, on-site visits to place orders, but this is becoming less of a ‘norm’ as
User-friendly, secure and easy integration are the key qualities that SMBs are looking for in their SaaS solutions. Interoperability with existing applications and platforms such as their CRM are important. “ ”
CONTRIBUTORS
Anthony Dobson regional director, sales
Joe Tully marketing manager
adventoris.com
arrow.com
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