SaaS, aka "Software as a service" is one of the actual "fashion" word on the IT world and probably one of the target for the future concept of software.
Many giant of the IT world are moving on this direction (Microsoft's Steve Ballmer has recently said that "we're in a transition to software that is live. It will be click to run, like a Web site") and many others will move on this new concept soon. But, will be possible that al the software could be seen as a SaaS?
ERP systems could be "Software as a service"? I'm asking this question because tomorrow we'll have a meeting on Microsoft where we'll talk about future directions on this.
Microsoft is planning to extend its Dynamics family with SaaS products, like for example the future CRM Live. But what about its ERP systems, like Dynamics NAV or Dynamics AX?
I can't see an ERP like a SaaS, because an ERP is a complex system, the heart of a company business, a software that must be extremely adapted to the customer's needs and its way of work. ERP is so crucial for a company that thinking on an hosted service is something that I can't imagine today.
If an ERP will be SaaS I think that it has lost all its flexibility...and who needs a great ERP, needs extreme flexibility!
Could be interesting to know what the community thinks about this... 