IBM to drive take-up of on-demand apps

Big Blue to provide educational resources and sales intiatives in push for software as a service

Computing giant IBM is set to boost the number of applications made available to enterprises via the internet, with the launch of several new initiatives designed to encourage third-party software vendors to deliver their products as on-demand services.

IBM will provide application providers with online educational resources, sales incentives and access to technical architects to help them move over to a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, according to the firm.

At IBM Innovation Centres worldwide ISVs will be able to discuss with IBM enablement architects the technical aspects of a transition to SaaS, including security and service-oriented architecture, said the company.

Online workshops on hardware, software and services support for SaaS will be available to developers through the IBM Virtual Innovation Centre.

Other resources for ISVs keen to move to an on-demand model include discounted advertising in industry publications, IBM-produced white papers to give business insight, and access to IBM sales staff to help them close deals.

Tim Jennings, research director of analyst firm Butler Group, suggested that the new initiatives are a logical extension of IBM's on-demand strategy and could lead to greater choice and reliability of SaaS offerings for enterprises.

"Software-as-a-service at the moment is most active in areas like CRM, but in other areas choice is thin on the ground," he explained. "This [strategy] will accelerate adoption, drive greater choice and ultimately [lead to] better quality SaaS offerings."

He added that the new initiatives are strategically important to Big Blue, because if the firm encourages just one ISV to move over to IBM middleware and deliver it as a service then this could translate to hundreds or thousands of new customers.

"There is a sense now that while we're still in the early days of customer adoption, ISVs can't really afford not to consider [selling SaaS]," Jennings argued. "IBM is trying to capitalise on this [with] partner support programmes that are rated as the best in the industry."