eZ Publish SaaS
After proving to us that open source CMS can be profitable, eZ Systems decided to go the Software-as-a-Service route with its Web CMS eZ Publish.Web CMS provider eZ Systems plans to team up with software solutions company Mamut ASA to offer a hosted version of its open source CMS.

Who is Mamut?

Mamut ASA is a Norwegian provider of integrated software solutions and internet services for SMEs with more than 335,000 customers. eZ Systems and Mamut ASA will launch SaaS eZ Publish to give businesses even more flexibility and choice. Users will be able to get eZ as a service with a predictable cost plan, or convert existing eZ Publish installation to the SaaS model.

Why SaaS?

As eZ notes, lately, the software industry has made significant strides in the way customers purchase and use software. Open source makes the software available to anyone interested in using it; thus, encouraging innovation and fostering quicker development. The Software-as-a-Service model enables organizations to save money on hardware, configuration efforts and avoid the hosting and maintenance hassles. Infrastructure and up-front license costs are, probably, two of the most compelling reasons to go SaaS. Many organizations embrace open source technology. But, in addition to that, some organizations are searching for a Web application that is not only supported, reliable and robust, but that is also fully hosted and managed. This is where eZ comes in. The combination of Open Source CMS and hosted CMS is a unique proposition in the content management market. eZ thinks it will also be very competitive, since there are no license costs as part of the price. This will enable small- and medium-sized businesses to use eZ Publish at an affordable cost.

More to Come

While research firms are talking about how hot SaaS is and trend it as the next even hotter thing for 2009, eZ Systems is combining the complimenting forces of open source and SaaS to a convenient way to develop and manage a Web site.Full details about the eZ Publish SaaS offering from eZ Systems and Mamut ASA are coming soon, as the launch is being finalized. We plan on talking to eZ in more detail about this partnership and will keep you posted.