Comments on: Is SaaS Channel an oxymoron?

By: What does Cloud Computing mean to the Channel?

What does Cloud Computing mean to the Channel? — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:43:55 +0000

[...] wrote a post ‘Is Saas Channel an Oximoron’ a couple of months ago but having just come from the Babson Alumni Technology Council’s [...]

By: Myriam

Myriam — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:51:00 +0000

…and what if Saas Channel was not an oxymoron but rather a new possible model? A vertical Channel composed by non contractual, business consultants, selling online or through market places?

By: Laz

Laz — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:45:00 +0000

Partners also like to win when the supplier wins. So those companies who have offered partners a margin on the recurring revenue tend to have a loyal channel. SalesNet followed this model before they were acquired and quickly developed an eco-system referred to previously. Sharing the wealth, so to speak, is a difficult thing for vendors to grasp in the SaaS market. Maybe this explains Microsoft’s confusing approach to direct partner billing, see: Microsoft: Partners to handle Dynamics CRM Online billing (http://searchitchannel.techtarget.com/news/articl/0,289142,sid96_gci1350457,00.html)

By: Heather K. Margolis

Heather K. Margolis — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:25:00 +0000

Excellent points Andrew thank you. Solution selling has been the refocus of many vendors and solution providers anyhow. Those who do it well will certainly succeed.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:21:00 +0000

You focus on recurring revenue potential, and have partners focus on value added services. SAAS can be positioned as both a ‘foot in the door’ for revenue, but also an opportunity to deliver higher-value expertise. Partners could specialize in connecting CRM with SAAS and BI systems to help customers further understand their end users. Designing the channel program is paramount to fostering this type of partner eco-system that focuses not so much on the margins from delivering/reselling a SAAS offering, but on delivering higher value, highly differentiated service engagements that = high margins for the channel partner.