IT support: Businesses warned to fully plan SaaS deployments

Posted by Steven Gaskill

Businesses should only invest in Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and other cloud services if they are doing so for the right reasons, it has been claimed.

Industry analyst Ovum has warned that some companies are embracing technologies such as SaaS and cloud hosting purely on the basis of industry hype.

And while the technologies do have many clear benefits for businesses, deployments must be fully planned and thought through if return on investment is to be achieved, the firm said.

Ovum claimed that deploying the wrong technology at the wrong time may lead applications to become "more expensive, slower and worse than before".

Stephen Mann, author of the report, said there is "currently a buzz" around SaaS and cloud computing.

However, CIOs need to ensure their decision to introduce it is based on "a strong business case", he stated.

"SaaS is now becoming a mainstream part of the corporate IT mix but using it for the right reasons, in the right places and in the right way within an organisation is crucial," he added.

"Chief information officers need to establish this before embarking on an implementation project."