SaaS model in CAD

There have been big buzz word SaaS (software as a service) in software business. One of the leading SaaS provider is SalesForce =96 CRM system. Despite the big buzz, there have not been many mentions according to CAD and SaaS. One big factor is that one of the SaaS criteria is that software needs to be online but there arent many CAD software who can do it.

So I decided to check the subject and gathered together some links about the Cad and SaaS topic.

Novedge Blog interview with Evan Yares =96 I think what is more interesting than software subscription is software as a service (SaaS). Done right, it can have real benefits for users, particularly in shifting maintenance and procurement costs to vendors, and in converting front-ended loaded overhead costs into scalable variable costs. Yet, I don=92t know that any of today=92s major CAD vendors are anywhere near the point of being able to deliver serious SaaS solutions. And I don=92t know that the current SaaS platform vendors are anywhere near providing the kind of capabilities demanded by such solutions.

ShareCAD Offers CAD file management through SaaS model

SaaS the Killer App for the CAD Industry? With these two major issues addressed, the SaaS model for vendors to host CAD services could provide a great opportunity to grow their business and reduce maintenance and support costs. Vendors could gain a more intimate understanding of their customer=92s utilization, needs, and priorities on a daily rather than monthly or quarterly basis, thus cementing a relationship between user and vendor, making it much harder for competitors to unseat the current vendor than what proprietary standards provide

AfterCAD Joins the SaaS Movement reviously, AfterCAD InSite was licensed for roughly ,995. Under the new plan, subscribers can access the software from a standard browser and use its viewing, markup, and collaboration features for as little as .95 a month. So to sum up I can see definitely movement around the term SaaS in CAD world. There are first early birds and I believe that gigants like PTC, Dessault will also make some steps very soon. And aslo I pumped to many phorums where entrepreneurs were looking VC money to develope CAD software with SaaS model, so hopefully we will see some new innovative solutions soon.

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I don't believe that anyone in their right mind thinks that this "software renting" model has any positive aspect. If it's a small and even medium business then the user himself is more than able to manage the system. If the business is big enough than the company will obviously need to hire IT guys to manage it's IT infrastructure, which can easily cover the issue of managing CAD installations.

No one, besides the software "landlords", have anything to gain with this "sofware renting" model. In the end it amounts to nothing more than forcing a continuous dependency on a software vendor, adding unjustifiable points of failure to your IT infrastructure (I mean, relying on a network connection to run CAD software?), losing control of your business data and put yourself in a submissive position to the software company. All that without a single bit of added value thrown at it.

So, why bother?

And by the way, autocad already supports LAN installs.

Rui Maciel