Here is a synopsis of an excellent article by Fergus Gloster, Senior VP EMEA, at salesforce.com, Busting the Myths About SaaS:

A recent conference in Dublin heard that a third of traditional software projects fail. CIOs in large organisations are under increasing pressure from business units to deliver usable technology more quickly. As markets slow, business users can ill afford to wait around for 18 months while an on-premises software development is rolled out.

Speed, ease of implementation, no capital investment costs and rapid return on investment have been the driving force behind the growth of Software as a Service (SaaS). But can it deliver to enterprise the benefits it has demonstrated across SMEs?

I believe there are four great myths when it comes to enterprise implementation of SaaS…

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Here are the most interesting CRM-related news stories from the past week:

• Zoho Makes Cloud Data Accessible with Zoho CloudSQL
• Sage to step into the on-demand ring
• Cloud Computing Giant and Facebook Collaborate: Force.com for Facebook Is Born
• Entellium Files Bankruptcy, Intuit Eyeing Assets
• Maximizer announces mobile CRM support for Symbian OS
• FrontRange Solutions Releases New License Manager
• Neocase Software Appoints Julien Dahan Chief Executive Officer
• Vantage unveils vPlatform CRM for SMBs
• SaaS Accounting Software Released By CODA
• SaaS to Grow by 90% Worldwide

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If you’re interested in knowing more about the Software as a Service (SaaS) / cloud computing marketplace as well as its impact on small and mid-sized organizations, you should take advantage of the opportunity to get this free research report from bMighty.com:

For business owners, the lure of software as a service and cloud computing is lower cost, quick implementation, and access to power and scalability previously out of reach. But what’s the reality? The “SaaS And Cloud Computing In Small And Midsize Companies” research report explores how and why growing businesses use SaaS and cloud computing. This exclusive report is offered as a no-cost bonus with your free bMighty.com registration.

During the past several years, more and more software companies have been making applications available over the Web. Software as a service (SaaS) has been making inroads into companies of all sizes; one-quarter of small and midsize businesses report using SaaS. Typically, they use them alongside traditional licensed software applications. And while some business technology professionals say they’re satisfied with the unique benefits of SaaS and cloud computing, they remain dubious about some of the perceived drawbacks. This exclusive new bMighty Research Report examines the challenges and benefits that small and midsize businesses experience when choosing and using SaaS, cloud computing, and open-source applications.

This exclusive report retails for $499, but is offered as a no-cost bonus with your free bMighty.com registration. Download it NOW.

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In 10 Predictions for the Future of SaaS and On-Demand Software Applications, Demian Entrekin founder of Innotas identified 10 key trends that SaaS companies should think about as they work toward driving growth and adoption of on-demand applications in the marketplace.

Here’s my list of 5 key trends (from Demian’s list of 10) that I believe will have the greatest impact on companies looking to purchase On-Demand solutions:

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Here are several excerpts from an excellent article by Thomas Wailgum, senior editor with CIO.com, 5 Questions to Ask Before You Say Yes to SaaS:

Not surprisingly, SaaS vendors have decided there’s no time like the present to make a full court sales press. In a down economy with slashed IT budgets, when there’s no tolerance for 18-month software implementations and the price tags for on-premise software from Oracle and maintenance fees from SAP applications are not falling, software-as-a-service and cloud computing offerings become more attractive options for businesses.

Gartner recently noted that worldwide SaaS revenue in the enterprise application markets was on pace to surpass $6.4 billion in 2008, which is a 27 percent increase from 2007 revenue of $5.1 billion. By 2012, Gartner predicted, the market is expected to reach $14.8 billion.

Here are five important considerations that business leaders and IT staffers must think about before they sign a SaaS contract…

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