Success Factors in Commercializing Software as a Service (SaaS)
Success Factors in Commercializing Software as a Service (SaaS)
April 17, 2008
Prof. Stephane Gagnon
University of Quebec, Canada
Email: saas@gagnontech.com
Web1: http://z.uqo.ca/gagnon
Web2: http://www.gagnontech.com
Survey Objectives
The purpose of this survey is to identify some factors explaining the relative success of software components commercialized as XML Web Services, a sub-category of (and often synonym with) Software as a Service (SaaS). This survey contains 11 questions with 60 data items, and may require between 45 to 60 minutes, including preparation. All participants will remain confidential, and all data gathered will be published strictly in aggregate formats, making it impossible to single-out a company. We will not cite a company unless the respondent positively answered a question to that effect. The list of questions is available at http://www.gagnontech.com/saas to help you prepare in finding necessary data.
Our SaaS Focus - XML Web Services and WS-Enabled ASP’s
Questionnaire
1. COMPANY: Details about your company:
* Name
* City, state/province, and country of your company’s headquarters
* Year founded
* Privately owned
* Have received venture capital investment
2. RESPONDENT: Details about you, our survey respondent:
* First name and last name
* Position within the company
* Email address
* Phone number
* Do you allow us to cite your company’s name in publications based on this survey?
3. SERVICES: Number of XML Web Services exposed to customers:
* Total number of WSDL’s presently exposed
* Average number of services per WSDL
* Largest number of services exposed in a WSDL
* Smallest number of services exposed in a WSDL
4. BINDINGS: Number of XML Web Services supporting the following binding protocols:
* REST
* SOAP
* XML-RPC
* HTTP GET/POST
* MIME
* other binding protocols
5. DELIVERY: Number of XML Web Services that support the following delivery standards:
* Web Services Security (WSS)
* Web Services Reliable Exchange (WS-RX)
* Web Services Secure Exchange (WS-SX)
* Web Services Transaction (WS-TX)
* Web Services for Remote Portlets (WSRP)
* ebXML Messaging Services
6. APPLICATIONS: Number of XML Web Services that expose the following types of applications:
* a traditional server application (e.g., C++)
* a mainframe-hosted application
* an atomic web component
* portions of a web-based ASP solution
* a service composing multiple internal services
* a service composing some third-party services
* a BPEL process executed within your company
* a BPEL process involving some third-party services
* other types of software or components
7. PAYMENT: Number of XML Web Services available under the following conditions:
* free without an account being required
* free for limited time and/or transactions
* on a pay-per-transaction basis
* bought in bulk transactions and paid as debit-my-account
* subscription on a pay-per-user/seat basis
8. SUPPORT: Number of XML Web Services associated with:
* a Support and Service Plan included in the price
* a Support and Service Plan as separate subscription
* a customer-community Wiki and/or Group
* self-training webcasts and demos/tutorials
9. SALES: Sales for the following years:
* Total sales in 2007 for all software sold by your company
* Forecasted total sales in 2008 for all software sold by your company
* Total sales in 2007 for all XML Web Services exposed to customers
* Forecasted sales in 2008 for all XML Web Services exposed to customers
* Average sales in 2007 per XML Web Services that generated revenue
10. CUSTOMERS: Number of XML Web Services customers:
* Average number of subscribers/users for all XML Web Service presently exposed
* Average number of subscribers/users per XML Web Service who use less than a month
* Average number of subscribers/users per XML Web Service who use less than a year
* Number of subscribers/users for the single XML Web Service with highest sales
* Number of subscribers/users for the single XML Web Service with lowest sales
* Average monthly growth rate of subscribers/users since first WS exposed on market
* Average profit margin per subscriber/user for all XML Web Service presently exposed
11. CHANNELS: Number of subscribers/users who get your services through the following channels:
* your company directly
* subscription partner
* Value Added Reseller
* Systems Integrator
* Web 2.0 mash-up