SaaS is Nice but the Network is the Future

The software as a service (SaaS) model has entered the mainstream. A wide variety of businesses are now allowing SaaS vendors to manage an increasing number of functions formerly reserved for locally installed software. But is SaaS sufficient? And what will be the next big trend after SaaS?

The answer is the network. Within the next decade, a seismic leap will occur whereby business-to-business networks emerge as the dominant force in business. In this networked world, business processes that were formerly disconnected will become collaborative and much more social. Today’s conventional wisdom will be replaced by fundamentally different businesses rules.

This white paper is organized as follows: First, we explore the benefits and limitations of the SaaS model, and ask how SaaS will fit into the coming fully networked business environment. Second, we explain how the fully networked business environment will enable a concept that One Network is calling the “Real Time Value Network” (RTVN).

SaaS is Nice but the Network is the Future

Keywords: SaaS, supply chain software, supply networks, saas and the cloud, supply chain management in the cloud.