Can Indian SSIs Flourish in a SAAS World?

GARTNER PREDICTS that by the end of 2023, the SaaS market will reach $208 billion in revenue.

- Srinath Sridharan & Jayesh Shah

 Add to that, other services like Application Infrastructure as a Service (PaaS), System Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Cloud Management and Security Services, the number goes up close to a staggering $600 billion. (Source: Gartner, April 2022.)

Covid was a wakeup call to those who were slower in their decisioning around adopting digital tools and techniques. It was probably even a better catalyst than most of the engaged boards and CIOs / CDOs. Yet there have been issues from the past where the question about viability and utility of Software System Integration (SSI) is still being debated. Globally, and in India, businesses have started adopting Software as a Service (SaaS) in a big way. It has reshaped the way IT teams were designed into the organisation structure. This is where the debate of importance of Software System Integration comes in.

Shift to ready-to-use SaaS products

There is no doubt that the exponential growth in SaaS adoption will be at the expense of System Integration / Professional Services companies because the shift from monolithic application systems to ready-to-use SaaS products / platforms is irreversible. It not only offers cash flow flexibility, but also allows for the businesses to focus on their core competence and not be constrained to build an IT organisation that they can barely manage or afford.