Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is cited as 82% of today’s cloud investments, and is the deployment model for 84% of new applications, so what is SaaS? SaaS is a software distribution model in which applications are hosted by a vendor or service provider, and made available to customers over a network. SaaS provides the most visible value to end users of the cloud models. SalesForce was created in 1999, and was the first SaaS platform built from scratch to achieve rapid growth. The products and services of SalesForce included customer relationship management, the sales cloud, and the service…

As smartphones and tablets have unstoppably consolidated their vice-like grip on everyday life, no business would want to be left behind. Products and services (like ReZoop’s mobile punch card) can be purchased at the press of a button, revolutionizing the way business is conducted and making the marketplace landscape a cutthroat and ever-evolving minefield. There are a number of mobile apps businesses can use to stay relevant and ahead of the game, and their competitors. Here are seven of them. …

When all considerations are tallied, it’s possible that Salesforce has invested over a billion dollars into social media through the purchase of Buddy Media and Radian6, not to mention the smaller companies they bought such as Rypple and Jigsaw. Is all of this an ego play to be the biggest and baddest in social media, or is this a series of great moves for the CRM company? [caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via CrunchBase"][/caption] Social media is extremely hard to predict and the numbers involved are staggering, but the buzz that will surround the company in 2013…

Microsoft really wants more cloud Customer Relationship Management (CRM) clients and now they’re willing to pay for them. Medium-sized companies with between 50-500 users can receive $150 cash per user if they switch to their Dynamics CRM Online service and sign a 2-year licensing subscription. The offer is open to US and Canada customers only and runs for $44 per user per month. “We feel that Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online delivers the best CRM service in the market — and at an extremely compelling price point,” said Brad Wilson, a general manager with the Microsoft Dynamics CRM division. Attached…