July 2, 2008 – (HOSTSEARCH.COM) – Software as a Service (SaaS) applications are nearly everywhere, and getting more prevalent every day. Nowhere was that more evident than in the Carolinas recently where Hosted Solutions (http://www.hostedsolutions.com/) and Local Tech Wire (http://www.localtechwire.com/) partnered to bring the “SaaS Road Show” to the Triangle and Charlotte over a two day period.
The Carolina SaaS User Group, founded by Hosted Solutions, is a forum for SaaS professionals to share best practices, resources, and experiences. Nearly 400 forum members gathered over the two days to exchange ideas, gain insight into emerging trends and share the resources they need to succeed in the on-demand world, enabling them to develop and deliver solutions that leverage the full capabilities of the Internet.
The meetings were held on June 17th at the American Tobacco campus in Durham, and on June 18th in Charlotte at the Bank of America Stadium.
Attendees were introduced to a panel of executives from established local SaaS providers by Mick Mixon, voice of the Carolina Panthers. Both events featured keynote speaker, and one of the nation's most admired SaaS executives, Gary Griffiths, former President of WebEx, who explained to a crowd the risks and rewards of outsourcing IT functions.
Griffiths was honored to take part in the event. He said, “It's exciting to see an initiative like the Carolina SaaS User Group emerge into to such a powerful concept within the local technology community. The Carolinas are proving itself as a market leader in the world of SaaS.”
“From all the feedback we have received, hearing Gary’s perspective as well as that of the panelists, was a huge advantage for all involved,” said Josh Wolff, General Manager of Hosted Solutions Charlotte and President of the Carolina SaaS User Group.
"With a great mix of software companies either delivering a SaaS solution or moving in that direction, corporate IT looking for ways to adapt more on-demand solutions internally, and niche vendors to the SaaS space, the message resonated for everyone in attendance. Everyone is excited to finally have a forum of this magnitude centered specifically around SaaS.”
