While software as a service (SAAS) is heating up in Australia with more offerings coming to market, local IT managers are still reticent about taking the plunge.Salesforce.com has seen massive growth in recent years for hosted software, and only this week Webcentral launched an online sales hub for SAAS applications.But SAAS is still seen as more of an option for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).Johnstone Shire Council IT manager James Scullen said that as a local government authority, the organization uses a lot of customized and specialist programs and wouldn’t benefit from the SAAS model. “I think it would be beneficial for those able to use it, but given our structure, we haven’t considered it,” he said.Morrison Motors CIO Kuma Ekanayake believes SAAS is a good idea for companies that have structural and employee fluctuations. “Companies like these, who may use applications which have varying content like tax and payroll software, would benefit from not having to pay for extended licenses and implementation,” Ekanayake said.“Companies would most likely use it seasonally, such as over Christmas or tax time where staff levels and requirements change. “However, I think using programs for such small amounts of time may complicate the situation and be too risky; if a company needed software over a four-month period, it could easily take that long for managers to familiarize themselves with it. This creates obvious risks due to inexperience. Why not outsource instead?”The new WebCentral Application Marketplace provides “on-demand” business applications ranging from CRM to accounting and tax services.WebCentral CEO Andrew Spicer said that as part of the launch, the company is creating an online forum whereby local application developers can promote their products. There are currently 25 local application providers as members.One of the most popular applications on the application marketplace to date, he said, has been We Call You Now, a “click to call” online sales tool that allows website visitors to receive an instant phone call. WebCentral is continuing to actively seek further SAAS providers as members.-Darren Pauli, Computerworld Today (Australia)Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content feature The CIO’s new role: Orchestrator-in-chief CIOs have unique insight into everything that happens in a company. Some are using that insight to take on a more strategic role. By Minda Zetlin Dec 04, 2023 12 mins CIO CIO CIO opinion Fortifying the bridge between tech and business in the C-suite To be considered a tech-forward company today, there has to be a focus on tech fluency across the C-suite, which creates a unique opportunity for CIOs to uplevel their roles and expand their footprint across the enterprise. By Diana Bersohn and Rachel Barton Dec 04, 2023 7 mins CIO CIO CIO brandpost Sponsored by G42 Understanding the impact of AI on society, environment and economy By Jane Chan Dec 03, 2023 4 mins Artificial Intelligence opinion Website spoofing: risks, threats, and mitigation strategies for CIOs In this article, we take a look at how CIOs can tackle website spoofing attacks and the best ways to prevent them. By Yash Mehta Dec 01, 2023 5 mins CIO Cyberattacks Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe