Saugatuck to Showcase SaaS Satisfaction Data at SaaScon 2008

Westport, Connecticut (March 12, 2008) - In an increasingly on-demand world, user satisfaction will be key to maintaining presence and revenue for software-as-a-service (SaaS) vendors. And while today's customers show high levels of satisfaction, users are already demanding more from vendors, as SaaS shifts from standalone applications to mainstream, mission-critical solutions connected to on-premise systems. Increased SaaS complexity, requirements for integration, customization and personalization and rising user expectations will all challenge vendors' ability to maintain or grow revenue and market share.

These are among the insights that will be presented by Saugatuck founder and CEO Bill McNee at the ComputerWorld SaaScon 2008 conference, to be held March 25 and 26 in Santa Clara, CA (www.saascon.com).  McNee's presentation will highlight research and analysis from Saugatuck's soon to be published 2008 worldwide SaaS research study, which includes survey data from more than 400 user executives' worldwide, briefings with more than 30 SaaS providers, and more than two dozen deep dive interviews with early adopter users of SaaS.

"User satisfaction is a critical attribute for SaaS 'stickiness' and must be a key factor in SaaS vendors' growth strategies," states McNee. "The virtual, on-demand nature of SaaS means that when users are unhappy, they can -- and will -- switch providers. The good news is that the high customer satisfaction levels achieved thus far suggests that category leaders should be able to maintain high retention rates throughout the planning horizon," shared McNee. "However, as you go further down the food chain, I'm not confident that you'll see the same brand and offering loyalty."

"Our research shows that SaaS itself is rapidly growing more complex, moving in just a few years from a 'first wave' of basic SaaS 1.0 functionalities to more sophisticated solutions and platforms that support integration, customization and other cloud-based services," adds Saugatuck SaaS study leader Mike West. "The more complex and sophisticated SaaS becomes, the more demands users will place on SaaS providers -- and the more costly and difficult it will be to keep SaaS users satisfied."

Key SaaS satisfaction factors from the study include the following:

• Nearly 85 percent of current SaaS users are satisfied with their overall SaaS experience to date. However, only 34 percent could be counted as "highly satisfied." And the majority are still using relatively simple SaaS deployments -- what Saugatuck refers to as "SaaS 1.0," or basic software functionality delivered via SaaS.
• Users are least-satisfied with SaaS providers' workflow, integration, customization and community capabilities -- all of which are key areas in the emerging, more-sophisticated environments of Saugatuck's multi-wave model of SaaS evolution. 

As a special benefit to all SaaScon conference attendees, Saugatuck and Computerworld have entered into a special agreement to provide access to some of Saugatuck's industry-leading SaaS research prior to the event -- as well as a limited trial license to access Saugatuck's subscription research for 30 days after the conference. For more information about this special offer, or about Saugatuck's ongoing research programs, please go to www.saugatech.com/saascon2008.htm.

About Saugatuck Technology

Saugatuck Technology Inc. provides market strategy consulting and subscription research services to senior executives, information technology vendors, and investors, combining strategy development, business planning, and market intelligence with first-hand research of executive technology buyer trends. Founded in 1999, Saugatuck is headquartered in Westport, Connecticut (USA), with offices in Silicon Valley and in Germany.  For more information, go to www.saugatech.com, or call +1.203.454.3900 in the US, or +49.6123.630285 in Germany.

• To request a briefing with our analysts, contact Chris MacGregor at chris.macgregor@saugatech.com.
• For more information about Saugatuck's subscription research services (CRS), go to http://www.saugatech.com/crs.htm.
• For more information about Saugatuck's vendor and user strategy consulting services, go to http://www.saugatech.com/services.htm.
•  To sign up for Saugatuck's complimentary Research Alerts, go to http://research.saugatech.com/cgi-bin/order/signup3.pl.
•  To pre-order a copy of Saugatuck's 3^rd annual SaaS Research Report, due to publish on or around April 22^nd , 2008 -- please send an email to chris.macgregor@saugatech.com.

About SaaScon

SaaScon 2008 is the world's premier event for executives and managers who create, build, procure and deploy Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) technologies. An industry-wide event, Computerworld's SaaScon attracts end-user executives, ISVs, vendors, and the spectrum of SaaS eco-system players.

For information or to register for the event, visit the SaaScon Web site at www.saascon.com. For questions about vendor presentation opportunities or sponsorships at SaaScon 2008, please contact John Vulopas, director of business development, Computerworld, at 508-271-8024 or john.vulopas@computerworld.com.

About Computerworld

Computerworld is the leading source of technology news and information for IT influencers worldwide. Computerworld's award-winning Web site (www.computerworld.com), weekly publication, focused conference series and custom researches form the hub of the world's largest (40+ edition) global IT media network.

SaaScon Contacts:                 

Chrissy DeAvila

Computerworld

christina_deavila@computerworld.com  

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