SaaS technologies will come to the market of ERP approximately in 5 years

According to analysts, so far vendors are not ready to provide services to ERP "on demand" in the volume necessary for complex automation of the large companies yet. Now, according to the experts, the SaaS-application is capable to cover or some one department of the company (for example, service of sales), or one, though difficult, business process (for example, payroll of employees). As for "global" automation, so far in the market there is no rather mature ERP solution, believe in Gartner. Implementation of the ERP system in normal two-unit (client-server) architecture, but using means of the Internet can be considered as the only exception.

Despite the agiotage which arose around SaaS technology, such provision, experts believe, will remain approximately till 2011. As for the impressive digits allegedly testimonial of rapid growth of popularity of ERP solutions on SaaS technology then, most likely, statistics is based on projects within which one of ERP systems blocks was implemented (for example, financial or personnel). According to the experts, despite success of SaaS technologies in a segment of small and medium business, the cumulative share of SaaS from total market of ERP by 2011 will make about 16.7%.

Apologists of SaaS give a possibility of reduction of an implementation time and reduction of number of the IT specialists occupied with support of the ERP system in the company as one of key arguments. Thus, they claim, resources for the solution of strategic, but not routine tasks are released. Nevertheless, it is worth to remember, analysts emphasize that implementation of ERP is always business process reengineering, study is more whole, setting of new tasks, formulation of new powers and t. item. And no ERP project can be started by simple connection of the computer of the user to the server of vendor or SaaS service provider.

Besides, so far vendors are not always capable to estimate adequately own operating costs of providing ERP systems "on demand", including on initial deployment of servers and the other equipment, on installation, setup, updating and support of the ERP system and also on reliability assurance and security during the work of several copies of a system (multitenant). It is also necessary to take into account the various "hidden costs" which inevitably pioneers should face is an and small number ready additional (industry and specialized) solutions which should be developed independently, and need to actually perform debugging and system testing in the course of real operation.

Thus, as a result total cost of ownership the ERP system according to the SaaS model all the same is very considerable, and the false expectations often accompanying implementation of ERP on SaaS technology generate disappointment of clients and vendors, and become a brake on a propagation path of new technologies, analysts of Gartner consider.