Because books don’t make themselves.

Last week, Really Strategies (provider of content management systems to publishers) bought DocZone, a provider of a nimble, light, SaaS-based content management system.

So now Really Strategies is going to be singing the same song that we at Appingo have been singing since launching our SaaS-based project management system for book publishers:

Publishers, meet SaaS.  SaaS, meet Publishers.  You two should really get to know each other…

Really Strategies has been selling its traditional content management systems into big publishing houses for several years now — all the while going the traditional Enterprise Sales route.  Selling big, internally-hosted systems which require huge implementation programs and months of consulting services.  Medium-sized licensing fees and huge consulting contracts.  Big bucks.  12-month sales cycles.  Meetings.  Committees.  Consultants.  Blah, blah, blah.

Now they’ve acquired DocZone, they are going to try to get Publishers to understand the value of a software system hosted…….wait for it…….on the Internet!  Huh?!?  On the Inter-WHAT?!?!

Yup…they’ll get a lot of that.  And they’ll also have to explain that their SaaS clients will pay licensing fees on……wait for it…..a monthly basis.

And their customers will pay a mere FRACTION of what they paid for traditional software (including Really Strategies’ RSuite).

And there will be NO implementation projects and NO 3-month training programs.

And NO big, customization initiatives (which never work anyway).

And the list goes on.  It’s sounds TERRIBLE, doesn’t it?  Of course not.  It sounds Amazing!!!  Unfortunately, right now, publishers everywhere are spending most of their time cursing the day the Internet was created (and damning Al Gore!).

It’s making everything SO MUCH more complicated AND it’s killing our REVENUE.  It used to be so easy…write, edit, print, cash the checks, go to the beach.  Ahhh…I hate the Internet!

But the Internet isn’t all bad, Publishers.  Software on the Internet is awesome.  SaaS solutions are great.  You need to embrace them.  How do we love SaaS?  Let me count just a few of the ways:

1. It’s accessible ANYWHERE – got people working from home?  Are you working from home?  Want to?  Travel much?  Ever need to access info/files/etc from a hotel room?  Do you have more than one computer in your life (including your phone)?  Would you like to be able to work from any of them?  Ever wish you could have a relaxing afternoon in your favorite coffee shop while checking in on the status of your projects? Hello Saas!
2. It’s immediate – SaaS solutions are available — NOW.  Want to start?  Go ahead — it’s on the web.  Get started.  You don’t have to wait for someone from IT to INSTALL something on your desktop.  Really, you don’t.  In fact, you won’t have to even talk to anyone in IT.  Go for it…just get started.
3. One version of the software – This means that you will never have to wait for IT to install a new version of the software.  Oh….and you won’t have to pay for a new version either.  Ever.
4. It’s flexible — Because it’s not customized for every client, SaaS applications are very flexible.  And the payment models are flexible.  And, in general, SaaS is FLEXIBLE because…
5. It’s CHEAP! — Because the SaaS model is lighter than traditional software (which is VERY HEAVY), it’s WAY CHEAPER than traditional software.  WAY CHEAPER!  Dollars or pennies a day.

Obviously we love SaaS.  We built Appingo as a SaaS application because we felt it really helped to address the problems that faced the people and companies that make books.

The SaaS model is very liberating — not only for those who make the software (us), but for those who use it as well (you).  If you’re used to a HEAVY, internal software system — then a SaaS solution is going to make you feel like Pinocchio with no strings (which I guess makes us the Blue Fairy if we’re going to ride this analogy the rest of the way…been called worse).   Really — you’re going to love it.  You need to love it.

Flexible is the new tight ship.

Good luck to Really Strategies as they try to bring SaaS into the PUBLISHING world.  Should be a fun ride…

- Derek