Software delivered via the Internet is about to take another big leap forward, say some of the biggest players in the software-as-a-service world.
Cloud vendors are even calling it SaaS 2.0.
Executives from Box, Okta, ServiceNow and Workday gathered in Denver to discuss the future of SaaS work apps at the Enterprise Cloud Summit Wednesday.
Big changes are coming to all SaaS apps but particularly to the ones used by businesses such as HR apps (like Workday), helpdesk (ServiceNow), file sharing and (Box) and password/security apps (Okta).
Here's the lowdown:
1. Your thumb becomes the mouse. The software won't be a mini-version of the desktop software. It will be redesigned to let you do all your tasks with a few one-handed swipes or clicks, says ServiceNow cofounder, Fred Luddy.
That's because people aren't using their desktops as much. More than half the traffic to Box comes from mobile devices, says Whitney Bouck, Box's general manager.
2. All your cloud apps will talk to each other. Even though SaaS vendors all store your information in their own seperate data centers, they are starting to work together. For instance, the helpdesk software can ping the HR software and get access to employee information. This is actually a big technical challenge and requires the vendors to partner up.
3. Email will (practically) die. Conversations will happen in the cloud, attached to the project or documents and not in email. For instance, notes about a document will be part of the document. Instead of emailing and cc'g people, you'll talk about project in a Twitter/Facebook-like stream embedded in the software.
4. The "one-latte" training. Most work software was developed during a time when companies bought it, installed it and kept it forever. Software vendors stocked it with advanced features that were only of interest to a handful of people and hard to learn. SaaS vendors say that even as they add features, you won't need training. In the time it takes you to drink one latte, you'll be able to click through their software and learn it easily, says Bouck.
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