• Read Wikipedia's highlights of SaaS, Software as a Service
• Have a look at InfoClipz: Software as a Software as a Service 2 minute video clip
• Example, using saleforce: VP Adam Gross explains Apex
• Example using Zimra, email: Zimbda
• Listen to a Podcast on SaaS, "Getting to the SaaS Head of the Class"

SaaS or Software as a Service began to circulate in 2000/2001 with WebEx, a web conferencing tool. Instead of companies loading software onto their servers, SaaS allows users to access software from a SaaS provider. This means your software is loaded from an off-site server and is delivered to you through a browser on the internet. All the same functionality exists but with the benefits of outside technical people to push out updated software and bug fixes.

According to Liz Herbert and Frank Gillett, of Forrester Research, SaaS is "built from the ground up to be multi-tenant at all layers of the stack: database, server, and application. All users run the same code, with customizations for each user and configurations stored as metadata parameters. SaaS is sold on a subscription or term license basis that includes upgrades, maintenance, and typically some level of support. SaaS vendors typically deliver two to four major upgrades per year and several minor updates that the user gets automatically.

Most significantly, SaaS makes use of innovations associated with Web 2.0, whose aim is to facilitate collaboration and sharing between users. This is where a huge opportunity exists, as people begin to see the power in sharing the revenue from their own development apps."

A new study produced by Saugatuck Technology, SaaS 2.0: Software-as-a-Service, shows that SaaS is at a fundamental "tipping point" between the current generation of software functionality delivered by "SaaS 1.0" - and the emerging generation of blended software, infrastructure, and business services or "SaaS 2.0."

This is largely due to "a dramatic increase in the percentage of executives who plan on using SaaS for business-critical operations," explained Mark Koenig, senior program director at Saugatuck. "Compared to a year ago, the numbers who plan to say yes to SaaS have more than doubled, from one third or less of respondents a year ago to a half to two-thirds this year."

This is good news for organizations because they are freed of licensing agreements and ongoing installments of new software. But what about the role of eLearning in the context of SaaS?

Susan Swanson explained in a recent eLearning article that "SaaS accounts for up to 70 percent of all eLearning and webconferencing." More and more organizations are turning to SaaS technology specifically to implement their LMS system. This is because of the growing importance of a LMS system within an organization.

"As the enterprise LMS moves beyond simply operating as a training tool and evolves into a crucial component of a company's suite of software, the LMS must also be able to integrate with other applications and ensure a seamless user interface and functionality across the spectrum." Increasingly, more and more organizations are turning to Software as a Service (SaaS) technology to implement an LMS that meets their unique business demands and solve their organizational challenges.

As well, eLearning is a particularly well suited application within SaaS 2.0 because of its role in developing online communities. Look to companies like www.instancy.comas an example of a content management portal which encourages the development of "knowledge communities."

"With the "many-to-many communication" allowed by Web 2.0, says, Instancy founder, Harvey Singh, "the responsibility, or onus, is on all members of a community [or at least those with permission] to share their expertise about a product, business process, or procedure." Through a repository, experts and skills are searchable by anyone seeking help or mentorship. It's all about "collective wisdom" and the speed at which it can be tapped.

Lambda will soon be launching its own eLearning SaaS and will tap the practitioner in the field as the content expert and the best source to flow information. The tools at their disposal will speed up the process making use of instructional design templates, an LMS, as well as other social networking technologies.

SaaS and eLearning application software offers some unique features and benefits, which include:

• better reliability
• easy content management
• learning management tracking
• interactive communities
• cost effectiveness in terms of native hierarchical storage management
• little maintenance
• extensibility in terms of integrating with existing enterprise applications
• flexibility
• connectivity to various devices
• freedom of O/S choice
• time savings

In summary, conventional business drivers such as efficiency and customer server are leading SaaS customer adoption. Everyone is seeking to reduce software costs and improve service levels for business applications. But what they discover is the SaaS and eLearning offers flexibility, customization and configurability for specific business or market conditions.

We are thrilled to introduce you to Ting Yupangco. Ting is our Chief Technology Officer and brings with him a breadth of internet innovation experience and cultural insights. These insights have been well honed as Ting has had the opportunity to work in many distinct IT communities in North America and Asia. His years of experience and knowledge of the internet technology both as an entrepreneur and professional have brought him to Lambda to create and develop a community and social based eLearning network.

"I would not hesitate to use your services again, everyone in your organization was very responsive to our needs, and provided great service." Learn more >>

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