Case Study 2 -

Jason Gepperth

Professor Wang

MIS 220

March 1, 2011

Salesforce.com Case Study

Q1: Software-as-a-Service (Saas) is capable of providing a number of advantages to businesses, the most prominent and encompassing of which is simplicity. All a company needs is a computer with a standard Web browser. That is it; there is no need for additional hardware, operating systems, applications, additional staff, or maintenance costs (Laudon, Laudon, and Dass 195). A company employee can access information from any computer, as opposed to designated computers with pre-installed specifications, and in cases like that of Salesforce.com, employees can use mobile devices to retrieve important items while leaving the personal computer at home (Kolakowski). In my personal experience, I was able to set up an account within ten minutes and access a number of highly intuitive services over the browser without even needing to read an instructions page before beginning. The user-friendly presentation and lack of unavoidable training really invites a user to become immediately immersed in the service.

Disadvantages, however, can exist with SaaS in a number of forms. One possible hindrance is limited customization and integration potential. Especially for bigger companies that have larger and more complex demands combined with the need to find functionality with existing legacy systems, it may be harder to find SaaS creations that can meet specific desires (Laudon, Laudon, and Dass 194). Depending on the price points for rental, it may also wind up in some cases being cheaper to just purchase the items needed to carry out services (Laudon, Laudon, and Dass 194). Additional disadvantages tie in to the challenges facing Salesforce as it continues its growth and will be discussed subsequently.

Q2: There are a number of challenges facing Salesforce as it continues its growth. The first challenge is availability. A major assumption clients make with their applications and...