Tuesday 16 April 2013

Software as a Service Provider



Largest SaaS Company is Salesforce.com. Other examples include NetSuite, Kenexa, RightNow Technologies, Taleo (2012 acquired by Oracle for $ 1.2 billion dollars), Paglo (acquired in 2010 by Citrix) athenahealth, Bazaarvoice, Jive Software, Scope Visio AG, weclapp GmbH, salesdoc or SuccessFactors (acquired by SAP in 2011).

Software as a Service Provider


  1. Infor
  2. Amazon WebServices
  3. Google Apps
  4. HubSpot
  5. iCloud
  6. Microsoft Office365
  7. Oracle
  8. Salesforce
  9. Concur
  10. Windows Azure
  11. Zoho OfficeSuite
  12. Meltwater Group
  13. ENFOS
  14. Tango, Elixirtechnologies

Software as a Service Pros and Cons

Software as a Service advantages and disadvantages in the point of Service Recipient and Service Provider

Software as a Service Pros and Cons
From the perspective of the service recipient

The SaaS model offers small and medium businesses a number of advantages over the traditional license purchase:

Advantages

  • Low risk investment
  • Transparent IT costs
  • Accelerated implementation
  • Reduce IT complexity process
  • Mobility
  • Focus on core business

The service recipient has a lower investment risk as it does not need any introduction for the software and IT hardware paid solely for the introduction advice. Two studies of McKinsey Consulting and Yankee Group indicate that the investment costs of a SaaS solution compared to an on-premise solution to 30 percent can be reduced, regardless of the number of users. In addition, the service users transparent IT costs, he usually paid only for the actual usage of the software. Because SaaS solutions are usually standardized, the configuration and the set-up of the application is implemented for new customers faster and easier than with traditional license purchase. 

This allows the implementation of a SaaS solution can be realized within a short time. A further advantage is the outsourcing of the process complexity by maintenance, updates and other IT tasks are performed by the service provider. The software access via the Internet ensures high mobility because the service users can be time-and location-independent access to the system. With an outsourced IT infrastructure, companies can focus on their core business and value creation, and therefore the annoying IT Tasks deal. So that IT is an easy to handle commodity to secure growth, flexibility, competitiveness and hence the existence of the company.

Disadvantages

  • Depending on the service provider
  • Slower data transfer rate
  • Smaller adjustment possibilities
  • Data and transaction security

A disadvantage of software as a service is welcome that the service users are in a dependent relationship, the so-called vendor lock-in, since the customer does not own the software. There is a risk that the service provider shuts down the system for a specific reason (eg, insolvency). The service users need a working Internet connection, otherwise a work with SaaS solutions is not possible. Another disadvantage is the data transfer speed, which is in on-premise solutions usually higher. SaaS solutions are usually standardized, so there is little customization of the feature set. An important aspect is the data security. It is confidential data resides on service provider, so they must be protected with appropriate security measures. 

Therefore, to consider before using a SaaS solution, whether they have been tested according to certain safety standards. SaaS vendors should be selected, which were according to the standard for data centers, ISO 27001, the Federal Office for Security in Information Technology tested and certified.

From the perspective of the service provider's

Also for the service provider resulting from the SaaS model advantages and disadvantages, which are described below:

Advantages
  • Expansion of IT services offered and generate additional revenue
  • Secure long-term revenue and better liquidity planning option
  • Less likelihood of software piracy

The service provider has the opportunity to expand its IT services and thus generate more revenue. As the service users usually pays a monthly fee for the use of the software, can secure long-term revenue and thus the liquidity be better planned. In addition, fewer losses are achieved by software piracy, as the software is centrally managed at the service provider.

Disadvantages
 

  • Investment risk
  • Acceptance problems in the IT market
  • Potential reputation damage and lost sales

A disadvantage of the SaaS model is the high investment risk, as the acquisition and management of IT infrastructure is provided by the service provider. In addition, the SaaS model is relatively new in the IT market, so there are currently problems with the acceptance service users. The acceptance problems are mostly due to the lack of safety data. In the event that the security measures are not adhered to and enter sensitive corporate data to an outside body, could be a huge loss of image with a drastic drop in sales arise.

Monday 15 April 2013

Software As A Service Pricing Models



Software As A Service Pricing Models
Software As A Service Pricing Models
With software as a service paid for the service users a monthly fee for the use of the software to the service provider. The monthly rate is dependent on the pricing of the service provider's because the SaaS model offers different pricing models:

Per user / month

At that price, the model pays monthly service users, uniform fee for each user who works with the software. It allows the user to the software, regardless of the number of transactions and the time to use as a kind of "flat rate".

Depending on the functionality

This model is an extension of the first model (per user / month). Here, the service recipient pays a monthly, consistent charge. However, this is dependent on the functionality of the software used. Consider the example: Uses the service users all the functionality (eg, SRM, CRM, FI / CO, PRO, AM) is paid by the service users a monthly fee of 133,00 Euro per user. With ten users of service users would pay a total of € 1330.00 per month for the software and IT services. In the event that the service users only want to use the CRM solution, the monthly fee can be reduced. Does the service provider to the CRM solution for example, 50.00 euros, so paid the service contractor for ten users a monthly fee of € 500.00.

Depending on the number of transactions


There is a pricing model that will be charged at the per transaction. In this example, the service provider is an e-commerce platform, ready for the service users can sell products. For each generated order in the shop of the service recipient pays a percentage of the sales price.

Freemium


In this price model, the service provider a basic version available for free, and then adds premium services.

In addition, there are other pricing models, such as billing or the amount of data to unused CPU hour or a constant price on a particular contract. Furthermore, it should be noted that for the service users, not only the above pricing models will be charged, but implementation costs for major software products.

Software as a Service



Software as a Service

Software as a Service, SaaS is short, a partial area of ​​cloud computing. The SaaS model is based on the principle that the software and IT infrastructure to be operated by an external IT service provider and used by the customer as a service. 


For using only a PC with internet access and the Internet connection to the external IT service provider is required. Access to the software is usually implemented through a Web browser. For the use and operation of the service pays lodge a use-dependent (usually per user per month) fee. Through the SaaS model, the service users are spared the acquisition and operating costs partially. The service provider takes over the complete IT administration and other services such as maintenance and updates. For this purpose, the entire IT infrastructure, including all administrative tasks is outsourced, and the service users can concentrate on their core business.

It SaaS models are given more and more importance. The market research firm Gartner predicted for 2011 a turnover of 12.1 billion U.S. dollars. This represents an increase of 20.7 percent over the previous year (2010: $ 10 billion). The North American market here represents the largest urban demand (2011: $ 7.7 billion).

Comparison of the traditional software license models with Software as a Service

The traditional software licensing model

In the traditional license model, the IT infrastructure, the development of solutions and software together constitute a complex, expensive and risky investment, the customer buys the software and thus has the license and the right to use the software. The vendor provides the customer an installation package. To install a complete IT infrastructure (hardware, operating system, database, etc.) is required. After successful installation of the software is configured to meet business requirements. With the completion of the software implementation the company takes over the complete operation of the IT infrastructure and related IT tasks.

The license purchase is usually associated with a service contract, which in turn contains incalculable costs. These include the installation of new releases and correction of software defects.

Software as a Service

The basic idea of ​​SaaS is very similar to an energy supply company. The customer obtains its current demand on the power outlet. It manages the customer does not own generators in the back yard, but the energy supplier is the work necessary to produce electricity. The customer only uses the stream and a usage-based fee paid for this.

Described the basic idea can be equally applied to the SaaS model. The service provider provides the business (eg an ERP system) or editorial software (such as a content management system for technical documentation) prepared in a data center, that operates and provides technical assistance. He takes all the necessary components of a data center: networking, storage, databases, application servers, Web servers, and disaster recovery and backup services. In addition, other operational services, such as authentication, availability, identity management, production control, patch management, activity monitoring, software upgrades and adjustments are made. The service recipient does not install their own software. For using only a PC with internet access and the Internet connection to the service provider is required. Access to the software is implemented using a web browser. For the use and operation of the service recipient pays a usage fee.

In essence, the models described above differ in the fact that the IT infrastructure and IT tasks are no longer operated by the service recipient, but by the service provider. The service is no longer a buyer pays the entire software license, but a monthly, per-use fee. One goal of software as a service is that high investment costs for the IT infrastructure (eg, hardware, memory, etc.) and IT tasks (eg, software maintenance, updates, etc.) can be saved.

Friday 5 April 2013

ABAP programming for SAP Financial Accounting - Customer-specific enhancements (SAP PRESS)



ABAP programming for SAP Financial Accounting - Customer-specific enhancements (SAP PRESS)
Without customer-specific adaptations comes from no FI implementation. This book introduces you to the customer exits in financial accounting, shows you how to find user exits himself and explained by means of step-by-step explanations and example code, how to program in ABAP typical extensions. 

Whether it is the expansion of master data goes to or adjustments in business transactions such as accounting documents, account statements and payment run - Michael Rohrbach prepares you well before your expansion projects. An extensive appendix provides additional systematic access to all expansion options in FI.

From the contents:

  • General information about user-defined extensions
  • Customer-specific enhancements of master data
  • Customer-specific enhancements of transactions
  • Overview of all possible extensions in the SAP Financial Accounting


About the Author

Michael Rohrbach is SAP consultant at ConVista Consulting AG in Cologne. After studying computer science, he worked as a software developer in the area of ​​SAP integration, before moving in 2008, the SAP consulting. Through its involvement in several SAP FI implementation projects in large corporations and the support of various customers in the maintenance and care in the FI module Michael Rohrbach has already developed in all key areas of financial accounting customer enhancements and implements, develops customized programs and carried out modifications to the SAP standard . Michael Rohrbach and his wife live in Leicester, a small town between Cologne and Dusseldorf.

ABAP Development for SAP NetWeaver BW - Customer-specific enhancements (SAP PRESS)

ABAP Development for SAP NetWeaver BW - Customer-specific enhancements (SAP PRESS)
The standard not enough? You want to customize SAP NetWeaver BW supplement for the needs of your customers or your company with your own ABAP programming and? 

User exits and Business Add-In (BAdI) offers points that you need to get the standard SAP to expand with our own developments and optimize. This 3rd Edition of our bestseller shows you how to implement such adjustments for SAP NetWeaver BW 7.3 in ABAP.

Whether data loads, in reporting or in the planning - Dirk Herzog shows you what are the user exits and BAdI it and how to program useful extensions. Using numerous ABAP code samples and identify the opportunities presented extension directly and use for your own projects. New in this edition: A tabular overview of all customer exits in SAP NetWeaver BW - so you can not miss approach.

From the contents:
  • Performance
  • User Exits and BAdI in the extraction
  • User Exits and BAdI in charge of operations data
  • User Exits and BAdI in Reporting
  • User exits in the planning
  • Customer exits in SAP NetWeaver BW Overview

Wednesday 3 April 2013

SAP basic course for beginners and users (SAP PRESS)



SAP basic course for beginners and users (SAP PRESS)
SAP can be so easy! This basic course will teach the SAP system know and use: click by click, the book leads you through the software and show you all the features you need in your daily work from the first application to printing them. 

At over 100 pages, it will be the central SAP modules Materials Management (MM), Sales and Distribution (SD), Financial Accounting (FI), Controlling (CO) and Human Resources (HR / HCM) explained.

Using a practical case study, you can try yourself, what you've just learned in the book: integrated across all processes. Numerous exercises invite you to check your knowledge and strengthen. A special advantage of this timely book is the extensive appendix with a glossary, menu paths and transaction codes, an overview of important buttons etc. The book is also suitable for the preparation of the user certification foundation level. Will you step by step to SAP Professional!

SAP basic course for beginners and users:
  • The SAP system sign in and out
  • In the SAP system to navigate
  • Working with Transactions
  • System Layout Set
  • Changing user data
  • Automate operations
  • Print
  • Reports
  • Sending Messages
  • Help Functions
  • Roles and permissions understand
  • Central SAP components use

Product
 
SAP basic course of Schulz is a successful means for SAP beginners and users, the basic SAP functions - to look up - just not everyday SAP components. The book contains numerous examples and screenshots also notes that contribute to the basic course.

About the Author

Olaf Schulz works as a freelance trainer in the SAP environment for SAP education partner. He has 15 years experience in the IT and organization, focusing on planning and implementation of training, preparation of training materials, project management, CRM implementation and system support as well as system development and network administration. Together with the departments he has analyzed their requirements, implemented in the SAP system and introduced in the company. He wants to support users and seminar participants with a structured, easy to understand and complete book on incorporation into the complex issue of SAP. His experience from his work in the user support as well as from the numerous training courses that he has carried out will be incorporated into this book.

Professional course ABAP ®: Concrete, Practical Solutions - Tips, tricks and Lots of experience

Professional course ABAP ®: Concrete, Practical Solutions - Tips, tricks and Lots of experience
Professional and secure application development with SAP R / 3 ® is not an accident but a matter of experience. The result: the tricks from which you can profit as ABAP ® Professional. 
The book will give you the basis of more realistic scenarios under ABAP Programming Techniques ®. The topics are of great relevance for the practice: blocking and accounting mechanisms, a professionally and efficiently-designed user interface, data conversion to all popular file formats, preparation for full integration of MS Office programs, as well as the handling of number ranges and text objects. A complete chapter is devoted to the Printing with SAP Smart Forms, from simple statistics to complex form. Each chapter contains tabular summaries of the used function blocks and can thus serve as a reference and a reference book.

Product

"Refreshing! [...] The author gives the reader the basic information and always a working example for the journey. All coding is of course on the website of the author. Since I'm a fan of short, crisp, not boring books: this book is fully recommended and worth every penny. 

Review

"Excellent! Practical and very easy to follow for students and developers." Prof. Dr.-Ing. Herbert Fischer, FH Deggendorf

Monday 1 April 2013

ABAP Basic Course: Clear Representation of all major commands ABAP (SAP PRESS)

ABAP Basic Course: Clear Representation of all major commands ABAP (SAP PRESS)
Currently about ABAP 7.0: Input and newcomers, looking for a clear and structured introduction to the SAP programming find, even in the 4th Edition of this book an ideal companion.

Based on a practical scenario, you get to know all the major areas of ABAP development. With each chapter, you can extend this example application and understand so the emergence of a large ABAP application to practice in all related details. Many instructions, screenshots and solution tips to everyday programming tasks are completing this basic course.

The first two editions were published under the title "Practical introduction to ABAP".

From the contents:

  • First steps in the system
  • Object Navigator
  • Procedural language elements
  • Database access
  • User interfaces and output Bildschirmeinund
  • Object-oriented language elements
  • Software architecture and software design
  • Programming guidelines and tools by SAP

Product Description

"The authors specifically targeted at beginners in ABAP Objects. Equal in the preface to stumble on the information for the programming guidelines in the appendix (ex. p 467), I believe that I have not seen in any other ABAP book. Exemplary! The second appendix 'tools for program testing' is exemplary. The introductory texts on the history is worth reading. Then explain how you can get access to an SAP system (including test systems for Linux and Windows). A short chapter explains the basic operation of the SAP system. Then the SE80 and other development tools are introduced. And on page 81 is finally 'Hello World' program. Everything up to that point very clear and well explained. Thereafter debugged directly, a transaction created, etc. 

So in a nutshell all the important areas in the very first instance. It then looks at the online help and the services market-place. Very very practical, the book! Praise! From Chapter 3, it then goes to the crunch. All beginners important language elements are explained. This table and retrieval system, screen input and expenditures, screens. Only after it's over to the actual object-oriented programming. Also this is very well explained and detailed / described. Overall, a book that is worth every penny. "
Practice-oriented representation, which is based on a continuous, ever-developed example. [...] (Ekz Information Service 2009)

About the Author

Gunther Dyer is a shareholder of NEXONTIS IT GmbH, Dusseldorf, which is specialized in consultancy in the field of strategically important, new software technologies and business applications in the SAP environment. He is responsible for development and consulting. His reputation as a successful computer author helped him during and after his studies of computer science as an IT consultant and developer for many large projects with major companies in the industry and services, before he joined in 1997 as a manager in a startup. In 2001 he founded together with Mrs. Kirchner NEXONTIS IT GmbH currently supports Mr. Dyer, the SAP in the design of a new product in the banking sector and is engaged in the development of the company's component library.

Julia Kirchner is the managing partner of NEXONTIS IT GmbH, Dusseldorf, which is specialized in consultancy in the field of strategically important, new software technologies and business applications in the SAP environment. She is responsible for research, training and organization. During and after their studies in computer science Julia Kirchner worked as a developer in several projects with major banks and service providers before they joined in 1999 as a manager in a startup. In 2001 she co-founded the Gunther dyer NEXONTIS IT GmbH Julia Kirchner Currently working on an e-learning project to teach SAP knowledge and writes on several official books on the subjects of new SAP mySAP Technology and Financial Services solutions.

ABAP Reference: The standard reference

ABAP Reference: The standard reference
The classic, fully updated! The function of a new addition to you is unclear? You want to refresh your knowledge of a core concept of ABAP? 

You need a clear example of a command syntax that is obsolete for years? It's all here: At approximately 1300 pages in this book everything there ever was to know about ABAP!

Concise introductions to all ABAP concepts, syntax diagrams for each command and each additional descriptive and sample programs will help you answer your questions as soon as possible.

The book has been completely revised and updated to ABAP Release 7.02/7.20. New topics in this edition can amongst others decimal floating-point numbers, expressions in operand positions, string expressions and functions, secondary key internal tables wiederaufsetzbare exceptions, streaming and locators in SQL and ADBC.

From the contents:

  • All ABAP language elements
  • Introductions to each topic
  • Obsolete language elements
  • Conversion Rules
  • Assignments
  • Exceptions
  • ABAP Glossary

Product Description

"Concise introductions to all ABAP concepts, syntax diagrams and sample programs help to answer questions as soon as possible." (E3 Magazine 2011)

The publisher of the book

SAP PRESS is a joint initiative of SAP and Galileo Press with the goal of qualified SAP product knowledge to provide users. - This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.