Developing business applications using Platform-as-a-Service-WHITEPAPER

Software has been part of modern society for more than 50 years. Developing software and applications using the standard software development models have evolved over the time period. The ‘code and fix’ style was being used for a long time until an alternative was introduced. From SDLC-to-Prototyping the world has moved to Web based application development. Today the web is being used as a rapid development platform, as it is easy to use with multiple browsers and devices that work on any operating system and require minimal technical knowledge on the part of the end user.

WOLF has released the whitepaper "Developing Applications using Platform-as-a-Service", focusing on the shift from the traditional application development models to the Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) model. We hope you find it to be useful and informative.

Here's an Overview: 

Cloud computing is an emerging computing paradigm aimed at running services over the internet to provide scalability and flexibility. The advantages in using the cloud for start-up and small businesses that lack infrastructure have been shown to far outweigh the disadvantages. Cloud platform services, also known as Platform as a Service (PaaS), provide a computing platform or solution stack on which software can be developed for later deployment in a cloud. This whitepaper talks about developing applications using Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and how it is different from the traditional application development models. It proceeds to discuss the benefits of PaaS and how flexible WOLF Platform-as-a-Service is to build applications by giving an insight to its architecture. Finally we discuss about the various types of applications that can be developed using WOLF PaaS and give a detail comparison of WOLF application development to traditional methods.

Feel Free to access and download the whitepaper @ http://bit.ly/eanQ5H

What's your biggest challenge in making online Business Solutions (SaaS) successful?

Transforming an idea into an online product and offering it at 20$ might sound radical & disruptive for most vendors, but it doesn't do much for customers. From most of my interactions, customers are beginning to absorb the concept of Software as a Service (which is great ...) as a new way of delivering Business solutions and some have even started perceiving that it only takes very little efforts for a vendor to do so...(ouch...)

From a vendor perspective, when they build using traditional software development methodology, they are investing/building for every customer and have better control on their cost and better visibility on per sales return. Even though the capital deployed and initial cost goes high, the return factor makes the whole ROI justification sound more practical.

Well, this case hits the wall only when the customers are more than one, or in other words *number = 110 and cost per customer drops low as compared to production/transactional cost. The vendor makes more per customer and accumulated appreciation to sales cost ratio goes down the drain. Precisely why online business solutions or SaaS models makes a point for customers.



You develop once and service 100 and factor the cost of production to sales ratio at a point where the customer makes money (higher TCO) from day one and you make money by adding lots of customers. Safe to assume if higher number of people put little money on the table, the vendor would make some for sure.

This underlying principle forms the biggest challenge from a build/development perspective for all online software solutions (new or old, selling for upmarket or downstream segments). Not only does it put pressure on faster customer acquisition and higher retention strategies, but it also makes a subtle point that you ought to build for scale and at the far end - align all cost (production & delivery) on a variable model. While easier said than done, the newly released WOLF Platform pricing resembles a closer mental match for vendors who are looking for a development partner for their SaaS .

WOLF has literally removed the per user charge, it made sense for most online business solutions, but not for application infrastructure and system service vendors such as us. More so since online solutions are more personal and people dependent. On the other end, application infrastructure is more dependent upon data, bandwidth and usage. Well, one can try and draw a parallel to users n’ computation cycles – but there are other innovative ways to cover that. Does lowering of the development cost solve the SaaS success challenge entirely?

No, higher numbers of customers, better marketing and higher retention, faster self service and cheaper prices demand a whole new approach towards online business and I will add some more thoughts as we go on. For now, you might want to read this lovely piece 'SaaS Startup Strategy | Three SaaS Sales Models' from Joel York & look for partners that can align their cost to your existing business and not otherwise.

Remember: If enough people can put in some value together, a lot more people will appreciate your collective value (underlying principle of a good SaaS)...

Sunny Ghosh
Director & CEO, WOLF Frameworks


NOTE: The views expressed above are purely personal and for informational purposes only. WOLF FRAMEWORKS INDIA PVT. LTD MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

"More for Less for More" - The all new WOLF Pricing Plan

Dear Friend,

As a team we actively collate information from our customers/partners about the changes, features and additions they would like to see in WOLF. These inputs form the basis for our annual major release and business offering changes. This year we have something BIG to start with...

More for less for more – the all new ‘WOLF Frameworks, Platform-as-a-Service - Pricing’. Before we roll it out for you, here are the highlights of the change:

1. Enjoy adding more users while paying the same price, our ‘Standard Business Plan’ of USD $ 50/- per month now gets you 50 users and not just 5.
2. Introduction of a Cent-based user pricing for all our Business Plans. On board large user numbers now and pay in cents!
3. Online payments, no more worries about wire transfer and bank cheques.
4. Finally – develop your own custom pricing for unlimited users with our Organization Business Plan, this should set you free from all limitations...

Please log into your WOLF account and update your pricing plan from the ‘Edit Profile’ section.

More surprises in store...

There are some other things we think you'll love about the upcoming product release, but I will save those for later. Stay tuned, it's on the way.

Thank you for your continued support. May the year 2011 be your best year yet.

WOLF Platform-as-a-Service Team

WOLF finds a place in the Cloud Computing Bible

Within 4 years of business, WOLF finds a place in "Cloud Computing Bible". The Cloud Computing Bible, written by Barrie Sosinsky and published by the Wiley Publications, is a complete reference guide to the hottest technology of the decade - Cloud Computing.

Anyone involved with planning, implementation, using or maintaining a cloud computing project will benefit hugely from this book. Starting with clear definitions on what cloud computing is, why it is so, and its pros and cons - the Cloud Computing Bible offers a wide range and complete reference. You'll get thoroughly up to speed on cloud platforms, infrastructure, services and applications, security, and much more.

Sharing its space with other industry leaders, WOLF Frameworks, Platform-as-a-Service has been chosen as an example of integrated application development cloud platform aimed at business users and developers who want to create web based applications rapidly without making a hole in their pockets.

You can get your copy today and explore the world of cloud with this complete guide. Best of luck on your journey...