Software-as-a-Service

SaaS (also referred to as on-demand) is not “same old software ― as a service.” It represents a breakthrough in technology delivery, serving as a powerful catalyst to change the value proposition and economics of business management. Companies such as eBay, Facebook, NetSuite, Google, and Salesforce.com have paved the way for acceptance of the SaaS delivery model in the largest companies around the globe. In fact, McKinsey reports that the proportion of CIO’s considering adoption of SaaS applications in the coming year has gone from 38% to 61%.



As you evaluate your budget for the coming year, where do you want to invest in order to grow your company? In your people? YES. In technology that can give you a strategic advantage and differentiate you from your competitors? YES. In capital-expensive hardware and additional staff to support it? NO.

There is a commonly accepted misperception that the phrases Hosted, Application Service Provider (ASP), on-demand, and Software-as-a-Service are all synonymous. There are key differences between them.

Hosted:

• Licensed software for which the supporting infrastructure and application support is outsourced to a third party
• Single tenant software
• The consumer may configure the software, but the technical infrastructure that hosts the software and its management is outsourced

Application Service Provider (ASP):

• The software developer often hosts the application directly
• Popularized today through standalone applications that are delivered over the Internet
• Multi-tenant application
• Reputation for being inflexible and hard to customize
• The consumer accesses the software but does not manage it

On-Demand and Software-as-a-Service:

• Software based on a single set of common code and data definitions that are deployed in a one-to-many model by all contracted customers at any time
• Software sold on a pay-for-use or a subscription based on usage metrics (instead of a perpetual license)
• No capital expenditure
• Highly responsive and scalable (upwards and downwards) solutions that cover entire business processes
• User access the application over the Internet
• Flexible and customizable solutions
• The applications are multi-tenant and Web-native
• The management, support, and upgrading of the software and the support infrastructure is the responsibility of the solution provider

The SaaS model can also be contrasted with a premise-based hardware solution, which has the following delivery model.

On-Premise Solution:

• Software developed internally or purchased via a perpetual license
• An up-front capital expense
• Software that runs entirely within the hardware systems of its owner or licensee
• The consumer is responsible for the management of the software installed

Traditional hardware systems vendors in the call center industry claim a hosted delivery model in order to capitalize on the SaaS momentum and not be left behind. It is important that in your search for new call center solutions, you take a close look at the deployment model the vendor provides. To help you familiarize yourself with SaaS solutions, here are some common questions.

What are the main benefits of a SaaS solution?

• You get a much more powerful, secure, redundant hardware infrastructure than you could affordably create on your own
• You receive a larger, more experienced IT support staff, working 24/7/365 for you, than you could affordably employ on your own
• No large up-front capital expenses, you receive a flexible pricing option that fits your needs and can be modified with your changes in call volume
• Your IT support staff can focus on value-added projects to help your business grow, instead of spending their time making sure the lights are blinking
• You have as much control over your system as you want, creating custom call flows and managing agents to fit your specific needs without incurring customization costs or having to wait for your vendor

What about data security in a SaaS model? Especially if using At-home agents?

inContact has invested millions of dollars in the latest network and data security solutions available, and has implemented those solutions across multiple data centers in strategic locations. The level of security provided by the inContact platform would be difficult to affordably match, even by the largest call centers with significant budgets. Both research and the experiences of our many customers employing at-home and remote agents indicates that sensitive data can be protected just as well (and sometimes better, because applications are not installed on the agent's workstation) as premise-based systems. Additionally, because inContact is a true multi-tenant platform, your data will never be compromised or vulnerable to other customers on the system.

What is multi-tenancy?

Simply put, it means that while multiple customers share the same hardware that is located and managed by the vendor (such as inContact) your system and data are separate and are completely secure from other customers' data. And, in the SaaS model, you can customize your system to fit your specific needs without impacting any other customer. You get the benefits of all the greatest features available on the system, while retaining complete flexibility and control over your configuration.

How stable is a SaaS system compared to a premise-based solution?

Critics of SaaS claim that it is not as stable as a premise-based hardware solution. This is simply not true. SaaS is a hardware solution, it is just hardware that as a customer you do not have to buy, configure, maintain, or upgrade yourself. And it is typically hardware that is much more robust than the type of hardware you might affordably buy on your own. We remove all the headaches and expense associated with the purchasing, maintenance and upgrades, so your talented staff can focus on projects that deliver the greatest value for your company. With multiple, large, generously-staffed data centers and redundant, secure connections routing between them, your call center system is likely more stable in the inContact SaaS environment than in an on-premise environment.

Will I lose control of my system if I sign up for a SaaS solution?

Absolutely not. You are empowered to interact with and control your system in any way you see fit. inContact provides you with the management tools to be successful and as independent as you wish. There is no need to call us every time you need to change a call flow, create new management reports, make changes to accommodate call volume fluctuations, etc. And with drag-and-drop interfaces, non-technical types can manage and control areas of the system they never had access to before.

Will I be stuck with the same functionality as everyone else on the system?

No, the inContact SaaS platform allows you to customize the system to fit your specific needs and grow with you over time. You have access to the latest features and functionality available, but can choose how to use that functionality in your personalized system.

Won't I end up paying the same amount for a SaaS solution as a premise-based solution after several years anyway?

No, due to the additional hidden costs found with hardware or on-premise systems (especially ongoing maintenance) that are not part of an initial proposal, this greatly extends the time it would take to break even compared with a more flexible SaaS payment model. Additionally, after several years with an on-premise hardware solution, you end up with outdated, less-reliable equipment in need of an upgrade. Conversely, with a SaaS model you will always have the latest functionality and infrastructure available.

In what areas will a SaaS solution help me reduce costs and increase profits?

In addition to eliminating the need for a large up-front capital expense, a SaaS solution as feature-rich as inContact can help you reduce costs by: improving your hiring and training processes therefore lowering agent attrition, reduce overhead and depreciable assets by enabling at-home or remote workforces, mitigate or completely avoid losses due to natural disasters and epidemics, reduce total cost of ownership by reducing the need for IT resources, and increase productivity and profitability by linking multiple centers together as one.

Contact us today to discover how a SaaS solution like inContact can convert your contact center from a necessary expense into a powerful profit center.