Comments on: On SAAS: It’s Just Better http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/01/23/on-saas-its-just-better/ A blog about our thoughts on entrepreneurship, teamwork, our services, the Web and anything we find interesting. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:27:46 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Space & Beyond » SaaSy http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/01/23/on-saas-its-just-better/comment-page-1/#comment-28625 Space & Beyond » SaaSy Wed, 31 Jan 2007 23:02:25 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/01/23/on-saas-its-just-better/#comment-28625 [...] Reading a post on freshbooks just amused me at how differing current views are on whether shrink wrapped apps or SaaS is the future. [...] [...] Reading a post on freshbooks just amused me at how differing current views are on whether shrink wrapped apps or SaaS is the future. [...]

]]> By: Mike McDerment http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/01/23/on-saas-its-just-better/comment-page-1/#comment-27799 Mike McDerment Wed, 24 Jan 2007 22:07:06 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/01/23/on-saas-its-just-better/#comment-27799 Edwin - I guess that's one way of looking at it. Truth be told I was look at SAAS more from a developers perspective than a consumers. That said, as a business person and consumer who subscribes to and pays for a number of SAAS services ( for email, music, photos, RSS feeds, the list goes on...) I find tremendous value in SAAS services for the following reasons: - I don't have to install them - I can access them anywhere, anytime - someone else is doing back up - I get free upgrades regularly For these reasons I have to disagree with you. Basically I pay for value. If the value is not there, I don't pay. Most FreshBooks users tell us FreshBooks pays for itself. They save so much time, that the service is an absolute no brainer. Most also report that they collect more revenue thanks to FreshBooks (a discovery that blew me away to be honest). Here are our <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/12/14/survey-results/" rel="nofollow">2006 customer survey results</a> where you can see for yourself. There will always be people who are unwilling to pay for value, but most reasonable people will be willing to pay the right amount for the right amount of value. Edwin – I guess that’s one way of looking at it. Truth be told I was look at SAAS more from a developers perspective than a consumers. That said, as a business person and consumer who subscribes to and pays for a number of SAAS services ( for email, music, photos, RSS feeds, the list goes on…) I find tremendous value in SAAS services for the following reasons:

- I don’t have to install them
- I can access them anywhere, anytime
- someone else is doing back up
- I get free upgrades regularly

For these reasons I have to disagree with you. Basically I pay for value. If the value is not there, I don’t pay.

Most FreshBooks users tell us FreshBooks pays for itself. They save so much time, that the service is an absolute no brainer. Most also report that they collect more revenue thanks to FreshBooks (a discovery that blew me away to be honest). Here are our 2006 customer survey results where you can see for yourself.

There will always be people who are unwilling to pay for value, but most reasonable people will be willing to pay the right amount for the right amount of value.

]]> By: edwin http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/01/23/on-saas-its-just-better/comment-page-1/#comment-27719 edwin Wed, 24 Jan 2007 00:39:20 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2007/01/23/on-saas-its-just-better/#comment-27719 I tested out your free account several months ago and I was impressed. However, although SAAS does have it's benefits it doesn't make dollars and sense for the customer if there is a monthly fee. In rare cases, when there isn't a suitable alternative, then it does make sense but overall it doesn't. Microsoft has been wanting to cash in on SAAS for years. They would love for people to pay a monthly fee to use Word or Excel instead of being able to buy it. It would be a windfall for them but their customers would be screwed. I dislike SAAS because it's generally expensive. I'm sure that the Freshbooks team has put thousands of hours developing their service but the premium packages are still very expensive. In conclusion, when everything is conidered SAAS stinks for everyone except the company cashing in on it. I tested out your free account several months ago and I was impressed. However, although SAAS does have it’s benefits it doesn’t make dollars and sense for the customer if there is a monthly fee. In rare cases, when there isn’t a suitable alternative, then it does make sense but overall it doesn’t.

Microsoft has been wanting to cash in on SAAS for years. They would love for people to pay a monthly fee to use Word or Excel instead of being able to buy it. It would be a windfall for them but their customers would be screwed.

I dislike SAAS because it’s generally expensive. I’m sure that the Freshbooks team has put thousands of hours developing their service but the premium packages are still very expensive.

In conclusion, when everything is conidered SAAS stinks for everyone except the company cashing in on it.

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