Software as a service - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• Oracle completes its stack of Cloud services (+11 photos)

  Oracle has launched a number of new Cloud services that the company claims will provide enterprises with all the tools they need to run their operations in the cloud.

• VMware's Identity Manager offers authentication for Web, native apps

  VMware is hoping to convince CIOs to centralize single sign-on access to all kinds of apps with Identity Manager, which can run in the cloud or on-site and also offers application provisioning and a self-service catalog.

• SaaS to transform the insurance industry in five years

  Their IT departments should prepare to become "brokers" between the wider business functions and relevant SaaS vendors, says Charles Juniper of Ovum.
  

• Dropbox adds new features to woo enterprise users

  Dropbox wants to gain a stronger foothold in the enterprise, and on Thursday it rolled out several new Dropbox for Business features that sweeten the deal for corporate users.

• Tableau revs its analytics engines with an online speed injection

  Back in April, Tableau released version 9.0 of its flagship analytics software, and on Monday the company followed up with an update to the product's online edition that it says is up to 10 times faster than its predecessor.

• Citrix launches Workspace Cloud with BYOD flexibility

  Life today is vastly more complicated for IT managers than it used to be, thanks in large part to two key trends: bring-your-own-device computing and the growing prevalence of mixed-infrastructure IT environments.

• SAP sets its sights on the IoT with new Cloud services

  Targeting the 25 billion or so devices expected to be connected to the Internet by 2020, SAP has announced a new suite of Cloud services designed specifically for the so-called Internet of Things.

• IBM launches new threat-analytics tools in the cloud

  Ever since its acquisition of Q1 Labs back in 2011, IBM has been selling its QRadar security event management software in the traditional way, whereby customers pay a price and download the version they want.

• Microsoft lets more organizations access apps from Azure Marketplace

  Government and educational institutions can now buy applications via Microsoft's Azure Marketplace and deploy them on the company's cloud platform. The store is also opening to businesses that bought Azure services through Microsoft partners, rather than directly.

• Google gives Apps admins more control over their files and docs

  Google is giving systems admins more control over Apps documents in an attempt to alleviate concerns about securing company data after moving email and productivity software to the cloud.

• Oracle customizes project management for lines of business

  One size no longer fits all for enterprise software, Oracle has found. The company has customized its project management software to meet specific requirements of clients in government, financial services and the construction business.

• Microsoft packages Azure for Web and mobile developers

  With a new integrated set of Azure-based services, Microsoft wants to help ease the process of developing applications that run in the cloud.

• GinzaMetrics helps marketers get more bang for their social buck

  Hard on the heels of its Competitor Discovery tool last month, GinzaMetrics has unveiled a new set of tools that aims to help marketers understand the impact of their social-media efforts.

• Salesforce gives Service Cloud a shot of data science

  Data-science and analytics capabilities are popping up with increasing frequency in enterprise applications of virtually every shape and size, and Salesforce's CRM platform is no exception. Barely a week after adding a new predictive decision-making feature to its Marketing Cloud, it's now added a new Intelligence Engine for Salesforce Service Cloud that's designed to improve how service reps interact with customers.

• Salesforce's Desk.com steps up its global focus

  Small businesses just starting out may dream of world domination, but that's a difficult goal to achieve if you can't interact with customers in more than one or two languages. Enter Salesforce's Desk.com customer-support app, which just got a hefty boost in the number of languages it can work with.