Posts Tagged ‘business software’

A/NZ IT Market Keen On SaaS Solutions Post-recession

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Software-as-a-Service providers are in keen demand post-GFC as organisations look to control costs. iStart’s fifth annual Investment Intentions Survey shows that almost two-out-of-three companies are now using SaaS applications – up from a half a year ago…

ICT investment in A/NZ is predicted to improve slightly (+6.7%) in 2010, bouncing back from a 32 percent drop in 2009 according to the survey. This equates to an estimated A$23 million recovery in revenue for the region’s ICT vendors.

The 400 organisations responding to the survey represent a A$373 million share of Australasia’s estimated A$5.0 billion ICT investment market.

Uptake of SaaS (software as a service) or “on demand” applications gained significant share, and are now fimly in common acceptance. While the overall ICT investment market reduced, SaaS applications grabbed market share from their traditional application rivals.

CRM, eMail and Web hosting/content management leading the SaaS application race, although increased usage was seen across all SaaS categories (ERP, CRM, BI, eMarketing), with one exception – eMail hosting – which dropped from 13% to 11% of businesses – most likely due to larger organisations represented in this year’s results.

GM of iStart, Hayden McCall, said that while the increase looked positive, it is up from a low base.

In providing the results, McCall noted “I question whether spend will ever fully recover to levels seen before this recession, or whether the competitive battle for customers, ‘right-sizing’ of solutions and SaaS alternatives will always mean lower investment levels.”

For those readers who are making investment decisions, reaserch on the iStart ‘technology in business’ portals (ref www.iStart.co.nz or www.istart.com.au) where there are hundreds of case studies on business software such as financial packages, manufacturing solutions, ERP, CRM and BI across A/NZ along with buyers guides for the leading vendors.

Click here to read the full version of the Survey.

Want to find out more about SaaS applications?, then visit iStart for case studies, buyers guides and thought leadership on how to choose the best business software for your needs.

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Using Your Computer As An Enterprise Fax Server Solution Without The High costs

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Assigned fax servers can be located centrally in an organisation’s data centres, while providing resilience and disaster recovery facilities to a traditionally desktop technology. It automates the flow of electronic documents, which helps businesses deliver information securely and efficiently from virtually any application. Additionally, it can also provide fax over IP (FoIP) capability by integrating directly into a Voice over IP (VoIP) network.

Even though they can be fundamental for companies who depend a good deal on electronic communications, fax server systems are not heavily used in small business environments due to their expense. The option is employing an enterprise fax server software solution that can be used on desktop computers.

Enterprise fax server software can notably better office yields. For instance, it does the job more quickly and effectively thereby, permitting your employees to be more productive and exploit an array of time-saving benefits. It also allows administrators the chance to consolidate facsimile services on a corporate network. Moreover, this desktop solution transforms the PC into the actual server, thus enabling users to control, send and receive documents from the computer from and to other business applications with ease and efficiency.

Applications such as ZetaFax and FaxTools Expert Network do precisely that. Similarly, both products have the bonus of having essential facsimile features and an elementary interface for individual users, while as a corporate resolution, they have more advanced features designed to aid businesses manage high volumes of electronic data. For example, Zetafax applications present an array of client-side options together with the ability to send documents from practically any Windows software, as well as execute high volume broadcast faxing.

FaxTools eXPert Network offers quite similar features. Also, the software allows for the convenient integration into an organisation’s corporate network, using either a server or a Client PC as the actual server solution. In either case, both options for smaller businesses may be and an ideal cheap server application choice.

The best software packages enable you to use your PC as a facsimile Server and can be easily integrated into popular applications. For smaller firms, these desktop faxing and broadcast applications can be seen as an advantageous alternative, while at the same time, still offer any number of the positive features of a conventional enterprise fax server without the associated high costs.

To learn more about providers who offer enterprise fax server software, please visit online faxing solutions.

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The Best Way to Perfect Your Organization’s Follow-up Is With Business Automation Software

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

It’s been proven that 80% of prospects and customers purchase after the 5th touch. Shockingly enough, most salespeople do not follow-up more than 2 times. If you’re not following up with your prospects and customers, you’re teeing up the sale for your competitors.

With limited time in the day, salespeople usually mull through their leads looking for those that they can close quickly. This approach is short-sighted if it does not include provision for follow-up with warm leads that represent the vast majority of your marketing budget. Hopefully you can see the need for a solution to harmonize lack of time with necessary follow-up for prospects that are interested, but just not ready to purchase yet.

Have you ever gone through a list of warm leads that you haven’t called in some time? Inevitably you will hear the dreaded, “Thanks for calling, but we already went with another service.” If it’s not because of an inferior product or service, rude customer support, or bad breath, it may be that you are suffering from a form of follow-up failure.

Customers buy when they’re ready to buy, not when you’re ready to sell. So how do you know when they’re ready? You don’t! You need to constantly maintain contact with ALL your prospects and customers. By doing so, you can be certain that no one slips through the cracks.

Sounds obvious, right? But how can you incorporate this level of follow-up without adding staff and increasing costs? The key to follow-up like an expert is found in business automation software.

By letting business automation software do the work for you, you can ensure that your prospects and customers are receiving emails, letters, faxes, and even voice broadcasts – all with less of your time and effort.

In this way, you maximize the effectiveness of personal calls because you’re steadily building relationships with your prospects over time. You’ll close more sales because you’re educating your prospects and customers, providing great customer service, and keeping your marketing at the forefront of their minds.

By putting business automation software to work in your company, you can continue to work the leads that are ready to purchase now without compromising the leads that will be ready soon.

Instead of hearing, “Thanks for checking in, but we already signed up with your competitor a few weeks ago”, you’ll start hearing, “I appreciate your dedicated follow-up – where do I sign?” Utilize the powerful benefits of business automation software to follow-up like a professional and take your business to the next level.

Brightpath Systems provides comprehensive business automation services for small businesses. Check out their online guide to learn how you can use Business Automation Software to increase your profits and grow your business fast. Brightpath Systems is a certified partner with Infusionsoft, a leading provider of Small Business Management Software.

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