Depending on where the ISV is in its SaaS development lifecycle, NTT Europe Online can offer a range of support as part of our SaaS Enablement Programme.

1. Commercial Engagement

NTT Europe Online looks to understand the key drivers behind the ISV’s decision to develop a SaaS proposition, providing guidance on the many commercial factors an ISV needs to consider before such an offering can be delivered. Discussion areas:

• Application capabilities and status
• Target markets
• Geographic reach
• Client base
• Cost model
• Sales channels
• SaaS lifecycle

Microsoft SaaS Incubation Center Program: Business Development Session

This consultative session gives the ISV key information regarding best practice for SaaS Sales & Marketing across 8 key different success factors. It helps the ISV understand how commercially ready they are to deliver a SaaS offering.

2. Technical Engagement

As part of a technical pre-sales session, NTT Europe Online will define and develop a fully scalable and secure infrastructure solution aimed at underpinning the ISV's commercial requirements.

Discussion areas:

• Identify security requirements
• Identify Service Level Agreement requirements
• Design hosted platform
• Identify minimum requirement
• Confirm scalability requirements
• Confirm other areas of development such as billing
• Introduce into partner eco-system
• Understand and define the required architecture and software requirements

Microsoft SaaS Incubation Center Program:Architecture Design Session

If an ISV requires specific application development support, this session will help ISVs evaluate the ways in which application can make use of Microsoft Hosting Platform tools for web-enabled applications.

3. Financial Engagement

NTT Europe Online understands the financial issues ISVs face when developing new technology offerings and has a number of options to help the ISV reduce their business risk, including:

• Cost models developed to suit the ISV's revenue generation
• Deferred billing
  Pay as you grow billing
• Per seat billing

Procurement of all hardware and software required to deliver the solution is also carried out by NTT Europe Online, sharing an element of the financial risk with the ISV moving forward. Introductions to relevant funding organisations via NTT Europe Online’s partner eco-system to assist in the development and launch of the ISV’s service is also offered.

Microsoft SaaS Incubation Center Program: SaaS On-Ramp

The Microsoft SaaS On Ramp pricing allows a substantial discount on standard SPLA licensing for software vendors that provide, or intend to provide, their applications delivered through SaaS. The offer is available until April 2008 and allows up to 8 CPUs of Windows Software Server licences and 2 CPUs of Microsoft SQL server licences. This offer is only available through hosting companies involved in the Microsoft SaaS Incubation Center Program.

4. Architecture Deployment

Once the commercial, technical and financial elements of the ISV's SaaS offering have been agreed, NTT Europe Online will procure, build and deploy the hosted platform including:

• Proof of Concept
• Hardware and software procurement
• Environment build and test
• Confirm Service Level Agreement delivery
• Handover to ISV
• Monitor and scale as required

5.Partner Support/Business Development

Once the solution has been implemented, NTT Europe Online will continue to develop the partnership in line with our existing partner programme to assist in mutual business growth and development.

Development areas:

• Training
• Product integration
• Lead generation
• Marketing Development Funding
• Partner introductions
• PR
• Case Studies