http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/ Strategy and design topics covering the two clear trends in the enterprise software industry today: the movement of on-premise applications to online Software as a Service (SaaS) and the use of Rich Internet Applications (RIA) to deliver these "on demand" applications to end-users. en media [at] catalystresources.com Copyright 2009 2009-06-29T13:18:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/a_roadmap_for_saas_that_isnt_pure/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/a_roadmap_for_saas_that_isnt_pure/ Pure on-demand SaaS is not appropriate to all business models. The underlying business value of a piece of software may require unique customer processes, or complex integration tasks that can't be automated. But the steps in the SaaS life cycle framework are still appropriate for developing a roadmap on how to design your SaaS. Examine the touch-points in the life cycle and determine how you design your application to address them - based on your specific business and technological situation. SaaS 2009-06-29T13:18:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/turning_saas_buzz_into_an_actionable_roadmap/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/turning_saas_buzz_into_an_actionable_roadmap/ "A Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution is not simply a new way to package and deliver applications. It is a fundamental shift in the relationship between the software service provider and the customer." This is the kind of thing you read all of the time in the IT press or hear from pundits at conferences. By now most senior executives in companies are saying "OK, I understand I have to have a new mindset. But what $@!% does that really mean in terms of how I build my application and my business?" SaaS 2009-06-15T12:54:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/changing_application_design_priorities_in_the_financial_services_industry/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/changing_application_design_priorities_in_the_financial_services_industry/ I was reviewing the latest FinTech 100 and noticed that 4 of the top 10 firms are recent or current clients of Catalyst Resources. To be sure, the economic downturn has impacted the financial services sector and almost everyone is aggressively seeking ways to cut costs. However we find that many of these firms are also responding by investing in new applications that improve ROI, manage risk, reduce business process inefficiencies and attract new customers. SaaS, RIA, User Experience 2009-06-05T12:00:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/what_if_you_could_test_drive_saas_application_design_vendors/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/what_if_you_could_test_drive_saas_application_design_vendors/ Choosing the right application design firm for a mission critical application, is in itself a mission critical decision. If only you could give a potential firm a test drive to learn how they think. SaaS 2009-05-26T12:42:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/designing_saas_to_be_viral/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/designing_saas_to_be_viral/ Designing for viral adoption can be particularly relevant to SaaS, where profitability depends on quickly achieving and retaining a critical mass of users. SaaS 2009-05-20T15:24:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/user_experience_design_rias_and_saas_as_prescriptions_for_healthcare/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/user_experience_design_rias_and_saas_as_prescriptions_for_healthcare/ It used to be in the healthcare arena, that investment dollars followed the companies searching for the next new breakthrough drug or treatment. Recently however, the opportunities and incentives (i.e. $19 billion) have started to shift to less glamorous products aimed at health care efficiency, and cost-control using SaaS, RIAs and optimized user experience design. SaaS, RIA, User Experience 2009-05-08T13:40:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/betting_the_farm_on_the_right_cloud_computing_platform/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/betting_the_farm_on_the_right_cloud_computing_platform/ Since choice of infrastructure for your SaaS is as much of a bet-the-farm decision, as designing the right user experience, you need to be diligent in your research. I generally don't advice clients on particular cloud computing platforms since it is ultimately based on your own development resources, estimates of growth and your unique SaaS life-cycle application strategy. However there are some high-level recommendations I can make. SaaS 2009-04-30T17:30:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/does_moving_to_saas_mean_you_should_abandon_your_on_premise_software/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/does_moving_to_saas_mean_you_should_abandon_your_on_premise_software/ VCs are betting on SaaS and Cloud Computing as the future. So if you have an existing solution that uses on-premise software, do you need to replace it now with a SaaS and cloud infrastructure? SaaS 2009-04-23T21:31:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/saas_application_design_resource_center/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/saas_application_design_resource_center/ You can’t visit a technology or business-related website these days without running into the terms Software as a Service (SaaS ), Cloud Computing, Rich Internet Applications (RIA) or User Experience (Ux). The technologies and best practices that define these terms are evolving rapidly and it is difficult for our clients and potential clients to sift through the burgeoning literature and blogs and find SaaS and UX content that is not filtered through the lens of an infrastructure or service management provider. So we have put together the SaaS Application Design Resource Center, our take on the weeks most relevant articles, blogs, whitepapers and guides. SaaS, AJAX, RIA, User Experience 2009-04-16T21:38:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/modularity_and_reusability/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/modularity_and_reusability/ One way in which Catalyst differentiates itself from other SaaS and RIA providers is our extensive experience with developing modular and reusable UI. But what do I actually mean when I use the terms modular and reusable and is it important to your project? SaaS, RIA 2009-04-07T09:36:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/importance_of_perceived_control_in_saas_application_and_user_interface_desi/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/importance_of_perceived_control_in_saas_application_and_user_interface_desi/ Simplicity, consistency, performance and innovation are particularly important for enterprise SaaS application user interfaces where expectations are high and and types of uses can range from rapid in-and-out use to all day reliance. Another often overlooked, but very important attribute is perceived control. In fact, in many ways, a user's feeling of being in control is what defines their perceptions of simplicity, consistency, performance and innovation. SaaS, User Experience 2009-03-18T09:37:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/the_imperative_for_modular_reusable_ui_in_saas/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/the_imperative_for_modular_reusable_ui_in_saas/ Modularity and reuse are standard practices for most coders and absolutely mandatory for scalable application development. But the imperative for modularity in SaaS application UI design is often overlooked. This is surprising because since SaaS is inherently a scalable application and all about the ability to be quickly reconfigured to adapt to changing market conditions. SaaS 2009-02-19T20:34:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/saas_agile_application_design_for_a_darwinian_economy/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/saas_agile_application_design_for_a_darwinian_economy/ The market for Software as a Service (SaaS) is becoming hyper-competitive with demands for ever shrinking release cycles. For companies that offer a SaaS solution, this means focusing design and development on releases that add immediate and significant business value. Agile design methodology can help achieve this focus. SaaS 2009-02-13T12:52:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/the_progression_of_economic_value_in_saas/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/the_progression_of_economic_value_in_saas/ The progression along the economic value continuum for any product or service, is from a focus on goods and services, to a focus on user experience. This is particularly true for SaaS, where the features of the software can quickly become commodities. It is the user experience that can provide real economic value and differentiation. SaaS, User Experience 2009-02-02T15:28:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/use_interface_to_differentiate_your_software/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/use_interface_to_differentiate_your_software/ To be sure, the functionality that an application provides to users is important for differentiation. But it is the way in which that application provides the functionality truly gives a piece of software the edge. User experience is the key differentiator relative to the competition. User Experience 2009-01-21T17:20:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/customized_saas_not_an_oxymoron/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/customized_saas_not_an_oxymoron/ Since customization continues to be a hot topic in the SaaS industry and often a stumbling block to adoption for many types of businesses, I wanted to briefly review how a SaaS can be designed to allow for easy customization and configuration of everything from terminology/lexicon and branding/layout, to individualized workflows, to data model extensions, to integration from other systems, to access control for each tenant and even to business logic. SaaS 2009-01-14T20:43:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/user_experience_predictions_trends_for_2009/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/user_experience_predictions_trends_for_2009/ It's an old cliche that technology innovation thrives in times of recession. But we think this will actually be true for user experience and application design in 2009. So for this post I want to offer some predictions where the user experience market is headed. I've also asked several Catalyst Resources staff members to contribute their thoughts. SaaS, RIA, User Experience 2009-01-08T14:54:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/2008_in_review_developments_that_rocked_the_world_of_user_experience/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/2008_in_review_developments_that_rocked_the_world_of_user_experience/ When it comes to software, user experience can evolve very rapidly. So I wanted to look back at 2008 and highlight some of the key developments that rocked the world of what users experience. To help get a broader perspective, I also asked some of Catalyst' staff to highlight what they saw as significant trends. SaaS, RIA, User Experience 2008-12-30T01:45:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/finding_the_sweet_spot/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/finding_the_sweet_spot/ It's that time of year when companies go through their year end evaluation process. Catalyst is no different. As the market evolves with many new RIA and user interface design providers springing up (and fading away), we try re-evaluate where we fit in the market relative to our competition. Where is that sweet spot where our unique experience and skills perfectly matches what a client is looking for. SaaS, User Experience 2008-12-15T21:06:00-08:00 http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/use_multi_disciplinary_teams_to_design_enterprise_rias_and_saas/ http://www.catalystresources.com/saas-blog/use_multi_disciplinary_teams_to_design_enterprise_rias_and_saas/ While many organizations attempt to develop their SaaS or RIA using their internal IT department, perhaps assisted by a web design or Flash creative firm, the end result will "feel" like it was built by an IT department. It may be functional, may even be visually pleasing, but it will not identify high value tasks, streamline business processes, increase user productivity, build the brand or drive adoption & use. To achieve this level of business value you need a UI engineering team of experts, each with a different focus, distinct skills and tight accountability. So what are the roles of the primary team members? SaaS, RIA, User Experience 2008-12-03T14:57:01-08:00