Enhancing Efficiency and Agility: IT Strategy and Software as a Service Solutions at Maryland Technology Consultants

In this document we will discuss about Enhancing Efficiency and Agility and below are the summary points of this document:- Maryland Technology Consultants (MTC) is an IT consulting service organization that utilizes IT strategies for measurable outcomes. The report highlights the benefits of IT strategy in deploying Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, specifically for supporting hiring processes. It discusses the advantages of SaaS, such as always available, reliable, scalable, and secure IT resources, enhanced user experiences, and reduced time to benefit.

Running head: IT STRATEGY AND SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE SOLUTIONS
IT strategy and Software as a Service solutions
(Maryland Technology Consultants, Inc.)
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author Note

1IT STRATEGY AND SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE SOLUTIONS
Executive summary
Maryland Technology Consultants is involved in information technology consulting. They use
management and IT measures to gain measurable results for their customers. In this study, the various
benefits of IT strategy in deploying SaaS at MTC are demonstrated. Further, various elements to
consider the vendors of SaaS are examined. Lastly, the most important risk of MTC for outsourcing
the different activities of IT is analyzed.

2IT STRATEGY AND SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE SOLUTIONS
Table of Contents
1. Introduction:......................................................................................................................................3
2. Benefits of IT strategies in using SaaS solutions for supporting the hiring processes:.....................3
3. Determining three elements that CIO of MTC and his team must consider regarding SaaS vendor to
select:.....................................................................................................................................................5
4. The biggest risk of MTC to outsource IT function:...........................................................................6
4.1. Understanding the risk:................................................................................................................6
4.2. Primary measures for IT department of MTC to minimize risks and protect the business:........7
5. Conclusion:........................................................................................................................................8
6. References:........................................................................................................................................9

3IT STRATEGY AND SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE SOLUTIONS
1. Introduction:
The Software-as-a-Service or SaaS has been providing pay-as-you-model for different
software. This is done from anywhere and anytime from any type of device. The solutions can be
seen as the ideal replacement for low-complexity and high-value applications that are hosted on-
premise.
MTC or Maryland Technology Consultants is an IT consulting service organization. They use
IT and management methods in gaining measurable outcomes for clients.
The following report demonstrates the different advantages of IT strategy in this situation.
Next, different aspects of considering the SaaS vendors are analyzed. Next MC’s greatest risk to
outsourcing IT functions are demonstrated here.
2. Benefits of IT strategies in using SaaS solutions for supporting the hiring
processes:
The IT resources could be deployed repeatedly in SaaS to core business functions. This is
done as updates and maintenance are factored in. Thus various benefits include always available,
reliable, scalable and secure information technology and enhanced customer and user experiences.
Further, there is quickly increased and time-to-value user adoption (Chen et al., 2018). The various
advantages of IT strategies while utilizing SaaS solutions for hiring are discussed below.
Reduced time to benefit:
It is different from the conventional model in SaaS. Here, the software gets installed already
and get configured. In this way, the user has the benefit of providing the server in the cloud. This

4IT STRATEGY AND SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE SOLUTIONS
happens in a couple of hours and they have the application been ready for use. The risk and cost are
the perennial concerns for the managers and executives. This happens particularly as the money and
manpower are committed to on-premise implements of enterprise software having no assurance of
success. The SaaS consists of differential about expenses as it resides commonly under the
multitenant and shared scenario. Here, the costs of software and hardware are low as compared to the
conventional model (Goutas, Sutanto & Aldarbesti, 2016). Moreover, the customer base can be
enhanced as this permits the use of the software. Further, the cost of maintenance is also decreased as
SaaS providers own the environment. Then it is split among various customers using the solution.
Under the SaaS model, the application of software is configured and installed already. Here, the users
can provision the server for the cloud and have the application getting ready for use. This is helpful to
cut the time for benefitting and allowing quick prototyping and demonstrations (Lawler & Howell-
Barber, 2015).
Integration and scalability:
The SaaS solutions have been normally existing under cloud settings. These are scalable and
integrated with other offerings of SaaS. Hence, by comparing with conventional models, where the
users never need to but the software of server. The SaaS solutions reside under cloud environments
and they are scalable. They are integrated with various SaaS offerings. Making a comparison with the
conventional models, the users never need to buy the software or server (Tak & Park, 2018). Here,
they require to enable the latest offerings of SaaS. Then as per the planning of server capacity, the
provider of SaaS would own that.

5IT STRATEGY AND SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE SOLUTIONS
3. Determining three elements that CIO of MTC and his team must consider
regarding SaaS vendor to select:
These are demonstrated below.
Checking credentials and certificates of software providers:
While analyzing technology partners and software vendors looking to the background, it must
be determined how long MTC has been in business. It must be determined whether they are rising or
downsizing. Moreover, it is also vital to fetch strong credibility and capabilities. It must be
determined whether they have partner certifications related to solutions that are looking for
implementation. It must also be determined whether they have an engineering team for focusing on
the solution and product development. Besides, it is vital to know whether the providers of SaaS has
been pursuing the same certifications on their own (Baur, Bühler & Bick, 2015). Moreover, as the
developers of the software managing data and as the experts of e-discovery building solutions for
supporting particular necessities, various critical aspects are to be followed. This includes monitoring,
delivering and writing software security in mind. This is done through constantly developing the
products to thwart the outcoming threats.
Taking a test drive:
Prior to committing to the latest software solutions, MTC must assure that the tires are
considered. It is seen that most of the SaaS organizations have been offering a free trial for testing
usability, benefits and features. Next, as the trail takes place it must be assured that the software
comprises features that are required with functionality. The vendors must be asked questions openly.
MTC must assure that the IT strategies are the suitable fit for the company for the long term (Power,
2018). Here, the penetration tests can be done that are simulated attacks over the systems. These are

6IT STRATEGY AND SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE SOLUTIONS
done through the authorized experts in analyzing the security of the system and determine
vulnerabilities. This makes them a significant element of the strategy of cybersecurity. It is effective
to have the individual team seeking the drawbacks prior it is done by an adversary.
Agreeing to KPIs of Key performance Indicators prior to signing any contract:
Working with suitable software providers for generating KPIs or key performance indicators
before signing the contracts is a smart step. Through placing KPIs in the area up front, here both
MTC and SaaS providers need to transpire for making software deployment a success. The successful
deployments must generate a trusted partnership between software and CIO. This can last for a
lifetime (Damian & Paula, 2015).
4. The biggest risk of MTC to outsource IT function:
4.1. Understanding the risk:
The greatest risk of MTC in outsourcing the IT function is vendor lock-in. It happens as MTC,
seeking to deploy SaaS, turns into so dependent that neither poor services nor rise in price can
convince that to switch that to the competitor. This is the case where the customers utilizing the
services and products can never make an easy transition to the service and product of the competitor.
It can result from the proprietary technologies incompatible to their competitors. Besides, it also
results due to improper processes, contracting of constraints and many more (Zhang, 2016). However,
the risk of vendor-lock-in has been seen as an important impediment for adopting cloud service. The
various complications of migration of cloud service indicate that the customers have been staying
with providers who have never meet the necessities. This avoids the process which is cumbersome. In
order to move information from the cloud environment of one provider to others, this is essential to
move the information the site of the customer. Then it is to be moved to the environment of the new

7IT STRATEGY AND SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE SOLUTIONS
provider (Ochs & Riemann, 2018). Moreover, the information might be altered for compatibility
with the system of the original provider such that the elements returned to the needs of the customers
is returned to the prior state. This must be before moving again. It is seen that since the past ten years,
various business has been migrating to the technology that is cloud-based. This avoids various
budgetary constraints to fund huge capital projects for various information centers. This also includes
agile software developing. As the solutions of the cloud have been offering organizations with
various advantages, it has been also introducing various risks. Here, for instance, the vendor lock-in
has been under a cloud as in data center.
4.2. Primary measures for IT department of MTC to minimize risks and protect the business:
They are listed hereafter.
 Checking the expenses to change developers over the system is the first step. This must also
include the hiring other outsourcing business for supporting the project as the project is
completed. MTC can use commercial or open source systems like applications or frameworks.
They must investigate how simple this is to seek other partners of development to work on
that (Chris Kraft & PMP, 2018).
 They must also check whether the follows various conventions of coding.
 They must integrate instead of extending. Here, the tight coupling must be there between
applications lock-in much simpler. This is helpful to rise the complicacy of the code base and
making flexibility of the system similar to the minimum flexible element of the system
(Espinoza, Brooks & Araujo, 2018).
 Integration must be done instead of extending. Here, the tight coupling must be their various
applications making lock-in much simpler. This is helpful to rise the complicacy of the code

8IT STRATEGY AND SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE SOLUTIONS
base and making the flexibility of the system similar to the minimum flexible element of the
system.
 Moreover, MTC must retain ownership of data and assure that is accessible at all points of
time.
 Lastly, the processes must be properly documented (Xue, Majid & Sundararajan, 2017).
5. Conclusion:
The above study is helpful for MTC to get connected along with built-in end-to-end business
processes. There are ease of personalization and configuration, quick portability of data,
comprehensive security of the cloud. Moreover, the vendor lock-in, the greatest risk of MTC can be
referred to as the customer lock-in proprietary lock-in making the customer dependent on a vendor
for services and products. Thus they are unable to utilize other vendors instead of costs of substantial
switching. Besides, it is also useful for MTC regarding embedded analytics and supporting different
emerging technologies. MTC must eradicate the unpredictable expenses of updating software,
hardware, patching and managing. They must change capital costs to operational expenses. Further,
they should decrease the risks with experts to manage software and oversee the security of the cloud.

9IT STRATEGY AND SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE SOLUTIONS
6. References:
Baur, A. W., Bühler, J., & Bick, M. (2015). How pricing of business intelligence and analytics SaaS
applications can catch up with their technology. Journal of Systems and Information
Technology, 17(3), 229-246.
Chen, Y. S., Wu, C. H., Chuang, H. M., Wang, L. C., & Lin, C. K. (2018). The benefits of
information technology strategy and management for cloud-based CRM systems using the
interactive qualitative analysis approach. International Journal of Technology, Policy and
Management, 18(1), 25-46.
Chris Kraft, C. G. F. M., & PMP, P. A. (2018). What Is SaaS and How Can It Help Build Our
Profession?. The Journal of Government Financial Management, 67(2), 26-31.
Damian, D., & Paula, B. (2015). Concept of Information Strategy of Virtual Organization with using
the Cloud Computing Solutions. Applied Mechanics and Materials, 795, 61-68.
Espinoza, S. E., Brooks, J. S., & Araujo, J. (2018). Implementing an Information System Strategy: A
Cost, Benefit, and Risk Analysis Framework for Evaluating Viable IT Alternatives in the US
Federal Government. International journal of communications, network and systems sciences,
11(6), 105.
Goutas, L., Sutanto, J., & Aldarbesti, H. (2016). The building blocks of a cloud strategy: evidence
from three SaaS providers. Communications of the ACM, 59(1), 90-97.
Lawler, J. P., & Howell-Barber, H. (2015). A Framework Model for a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
Strategy. In Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Third Edition (pp. 1024-
1032). IGI Global.

10IT STRATEGY AND SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE SOLUTIONS
Ochs, T., & Riemann, U. A. (2018). IT Strategy Follows Digitalization. In Encyclopedia of
Information Science and Technology, Fourth Edition (pp. 873-887). IGI Global.
Power, B. (2018). Digital Transformation Through SaaS Multiclouds. IEEE Cloud Computing, 5(3),
27-30.
Tak, O. S., & Park, S. (2018). Investigating SaaS Providers’ market success based on the Multivariate
LGCM Approach. Procedia computer science, 139, 227-235.
Xue, L. S., Majid, N. A. A., & Sundararajan, E. A. (2017, March). Quality of Service Evaluation of
IaaS Modeler Allocation Strategies on Cloud Computing Simulator. In Proceedings of the
International Conference on High Performance Compilation, Computing and
Communications (pp. 6-10). ACM.
Zhang, S. (2016, January). Coping Strategies Research on Accounting Information Risks Based on
Cloud Computing Environments. In 2015 4th International Conference on Sensors,
Measurement and Intelligent Materials. Atlantis Press.