The importance of the cloud computing phenomenon is hard to overstate. It will, I think, revolutionize the software industry - if it hasn't already. Whereas enterprise software has been largely provided to firms in the form of pre-packed applications requiring installation, many companies now use programs hosted in the "cloud." Or, in other words, instead of installing software, companies now have the option of accessing programs through the web - otherwise known as the "cloud" - and can pay for programs on a subscription basis. This sort of software is known as "SaaS," or software as a service.

What this means for you, the owner of a small to medium sized business, is that enterprise software is now cheaper, more diverse, and more accessible. If you've had problems integrating the different segments of your business there is - I guarantee - software designed to help you deal with the issue. The most obvious example of a SaaS company is, of course, www.Salesforce.com. Salesforce provides Customer Relationship Management software, (CRM), which helps to catalogue leads, accounts, and keep track of the sales process. This is the most widely used SaaS application, but many more quality SaaS programs are available. Ribbit provides access to CRM information from your mobile phone. Oracle will help you to manage your company’s assets. If you need quoting, billing, or commissions software, look no further than www.Nirvaha.com. The list goes on.

Not only is there software for virtually any business problem conceivable, most of these programs integrate. Nirvaha, for example, is available as a standalone App, or, if you use Salesforce, as a tab within the Salesforce UI.

The point is, if you hope for your business to grow from an SMB to something bigger, that growth will require adaptation to the challenges of larger scale organization. The easiest way to do this? In my opinion, SaaS.