Wynne Systems Inc.

An increasing number of application providers are giving their customers a choice in software deployment - Standalone or SaaS (Software as a Service) - even as they recognize there are no hard and fast rules for determining which deployment model is best suited for a particular business. The challenge for these providers and the companies they serve is to match user needs with the capabilities and features of both the specific application and the delivery model.

The recent movement toward SaaS-based deployments is indicative of a general trend within many industries and with many business applications. A natural next-step in business' expanding utilization of the Internet, which removes many of the collaboration, flexibility and scalability constraints of traditional in-house hosting, SaaS' value proposition is simple and universal - it allows companies to enjoy the benefits of a particular business application while minimizing infrastructure, implementation and maintenance costs, as well as Information Technology (IT) staffing requirements.

But while this deployment model is certainly attractive, it is only one alternative, and not the best for every company. Due in part to security, integration and control considerations, many businesses still opt for the "stand-alone" implementation, with the application residing on their in-house server and being managed by their company's IT staff.

Decision-makers need to consider many critical qualifying issues when making their SaaS or Standalone assessment. These issues include the size of their IT department, the degree to which the solution must integrate with other solutions, the core competency of their IT staff , and data security, access and portability.