There's snow business like the hosting business

Ok- so I just had to get that in! Can’t believe the weather. It’s like a winter from the seventies. All we need now is an economic crisis…oh.

I haven’t had time to get chilly though. It’s been a busy few weeks since my last post. We managed to get a nice case study out which we did with Microsoft on the UK Home Offfice and our ISV partner Matrix Decisions.

It’s on aspirahub, a rather cool application Matrix has rolled out to a number of clients using the S + S model. It automates data collection, analysis, and aggregation processes for corporate reporting, including health and safety and environmental reports. A great argument for security (it’s good to see a client really utilise and rely on all the security we roll out at our Liverpool DC).

Incubating ideas in the City of Light

I was also in Paris last week for the (deep breath) Microsoft S + S Incubation Center Program Business Design Session Update meeting. In short, this was a refresh of some of the materials we’ve been using to help ISVs bring deliver their software using a pay as you go, S + S model.

One thing I noticed was the value Business Design Session actually add to the business. Having been at the receiving end of one (and subsequently run them ourselves) I was bowled over at how looking at your own organisation from the outside can make you think differently. It can be a little discomforting about what you’re getting wrong, but you are really energised to go and fix it and there’s loads of good that comes out of them.

We do these sessions for £1,500 for a day (we throw in 3 months hosting on a Standard Managed Server On Demand Server) but looking at the work that goes into the materials and the value of the day I was genuinely reminded of the value. That said, they’re not for the weak or fain to heart. They’re pretty gruelling affairs- but then getting things right can be exhausting.

You say SaaS, I say S + S, let’s call the whole thing On Demand

One other thing that came out is the confusion over the nomenclature for SaaS or S + S. I’m suffering from verbal schizophrenia because just as people are getting their heads round SaaS, Microsoft comes up with software-plus-services just to be awkward.

I want to keep calling it SaaS, because that’s what people are getting to know it as, but then as a Microsoft Gold partner we need to rap like the dudes in Seattle to keep the messages joined up.

There's an element of arguing about how many angels can dance on a pin head, but there's more to it than that. It's about making a great proposition understandable. I think this one will rumble on.

I think I’ll bottle it and call it On Demand. That’s that sorted.

Hosted Microsoft Dynamics CRM

We’re currently looking at really going at vertical with this at the moment. Got some exciting things in the pipeline so watch this space.