Trilog goes SaaS with ProjExec

Project management specialist Trilog Group has jumped into the Software as a Service (SaaS) market with its established ProjExec package.

CEO Alex Homsi says the move reflects the changing nature of software development with increased use of distributed development teams.

"Collaboration in software development is becoming networked and no longer restricted to a single enterprise. The delivery model for project management has to accommodate highly-distributed teams and SaaS is the way to do this," he said.

According to Homsi, Trilog's base on IBM's Websphere portal provides a robust project management platform for companies of all sizes. "Websphere is usually beyond the reach of small companies but we have negotiated a special deal with IBM to reduce the cost so even the smallest can get the benefit of IBM support. They get an affordable SaaS package which is also scalable."

Prices range from $25 to $40 per user per month and Trilog is offering a 30 day free trial.

Trilog enters an already crowded market. Project management in its various forms has proved to be a popular candidate as a SaaS package. Basic suppliers such as Journyx and Clockware, as well as full blown IT project management specialists including AceProject, eProject and Projity all offer SaaS alternatives.

Furthermore, the project management software market is a global one with companies such as Clarizen in Israel and Synage in Mumbai, India, claiming a slice of the market.

Lurking in the wings is a potentially even larger rival - Serena Software. René Bonvanie, senior vice president of Serena’s online business said earlier this month: "SaaS is quickly becoming the preferred software delivery model in many global enterprises and we are investing heavily to build on-demand services for our applications. Serena’s new on-demand Business Mashup platform is just the beginning. Serena will offer other Serena applications in a SaaS model, including Serena Mariner, our project and portfolio management offering."

Unsurprisingly, Homsi of Trilog says ProjExec offers a better package for serious enterprise developers because of its emphasis on full collaboration including integrated conferencing and Skype phone features. "Once you are in the ProjExec environment you don't need to leave it - you don't even need to pick up a phone because its all built in." ®