New global SaaS marketplace emerges from Dublin

13 Jan 2009

A global fully fledged software as a service (SaaS) marketplace has been launched by a west Dublin company called SaaSPlex to allow busy businesses “pick, click and run” with the applications they need.

SaaSPlex’sWorkClouds marketplace is being described as the world’s first true SaaS marketplace.

WorkClouds is powered by the SaaSPlex Cloudspace Platform, a proprietary cloud computing platform developed by SaaSPlex.

Organisations can select multiple SaaS applications and have them available to the entire organisation within minutes. Once selected, the consolidated suite of applications is made available through a web desktop accessed with a single unique username and password for each user.

WorkClouds are created through a simple “pick, click, run” principle where you simply pick the applications you want to use, enter the number of users for each application and log in to your dedicated web desktop — then you are up and running.

Single sign-on functionality means that company employees can access all applications with a single login. The desktop can be accessed from anywhere, but can also be restricted to a company’s internal network. The SaaS applications start from €3.65 per user per month.

WorkClouds was launched yesterday at the Entrepreneur Country/Interactive City event in London. “The principle behind WorkClouds is simple: WorkClouds allows small- and medium- sized companies access to business management and productivity applications at an affordable price. WorkClouds enables companies save significant costs by fully using the power of the internet,” said Pat Bolger, SaaSPlex CEO.

WorkClouds has launched with a selection of applications that SaaSPlex believe are the most applicable to the majority of small- and medium-sized businesses. The current offering includes a customer relationship management (CRM), an enterprise resource planning (ERP) application, a human resources management (HRM) application and a groupware product which incorporates shared email, address book, calendar and file store.

SaaSPlex has stated it will be adding multiple applications to the WorkClouds SaaS Marketplace on a monthly basis.

“We have also developed connections to third-party clouds that we are currently testing; in the near future we hope to be able to offer cloud-based applications from multiple Cloud and SaaS providers. Once completed, this will allow for single consolidated access to any possible web application that you would use to run your business,” said Bolger.

“WorkClouds allows companies to save significant costs, which is becoming all the more pertinent in the current recessionary climate. Why spend money supporting outdated in house applications or buying new servers? With WorkClouds, you need never buy another server. In fact, you can throw out or recycle the ones you already have.

“With WorkClouds you can save up to 70pc on your IT costs while at the same time gain access to the best business management and productivity application that can help you truly transform your business,” said Paul Comerford, SaaSPlex business development director.

Unlike other cloud-computing platforms, the SaaSPlex platform was designed and developed from the ground up and does not contains any third-party commercial components. Unlike other web desktop offerings WorkClouds does not require any plug-ins or downloads to be made to the client PC. WorkClouds is accessible through any browser from anywhere.

The SaaSPlex Cloudspace Platform, which powers WorkClouds, was developed using some of the latest technologies and contains multiple patent pending methodologies and algorithms that SaaSPlex has developed to solve problems such as optimal application allocation and distribution.

“We are very proud of our team and our technology and we believe that our platform contains some very innovative ideas. We have implemented a lot of features and have overcome a lot of challenges. We have developed functionality that enables any web application to be multi-tenanted which has the obvious benefit of allowing us to add any web application to our system,” said Christopher Karatzinis, technology director, SaaSPlex.

While WorkClouds gives companies access to multiple SaaS applications that they can then use to run their business, the SaaSPlex Cloudspace Platform is also available as a ‘shrink wrapped’ application that can be used by any service provider.

SaaSPlex is currently targeting tier 1 ISPs, managed service providers, mobile, wireless and fixed line operators with their platform.

“The SaaSPlex Cloudspace Platform allows virtually any provider to offer SaaS applications to their clients. An example is a mobile or fixed line operator can bundle SaaS applications with their business broadband offerings. This can help the operator differentiate their offering, increase customer loyalty through the addition of value-added services and reduce customer churn,” Bolger explained.

By John Kennedy

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com