TEL AVIV, ISRAEL--(Marketwired - Apr 28, 2014) - Called one of the biggest IT trends for enterprise software in 2014, the transition to cloud-based solutions from on-premise applications requires sophisticated management tools and methodologies. Now, with the launch of the analytic application SoftWatch, for the first time CXOs and IT executives can obtain actual usage data on the omnipresent Microsoft Office so they can determine the benefits and ROI for transitioning to Google Apps. SoftWatch is the only solution to provide this accurate data on company-wide Microsoft Office usage patterns, enabling enterprises to make informed decisions about moving to Google Apps and provide management tools for a smooth transition and decommissioning of excessive Microsoft licenses.
Also today, SoftWatch is releasing its benchmark study which analyzes real usage of Microsoft (MS) Office in dozens of enterprises comprising over 150,000 total users. The benchmark shows that on average an employee only spends 48 minutes a day on MS Office applications, most of it on Outlook for email. It also reveals high numbers of inactive users in the organizations; in particular PowerPoint was not being used at all by half of the employees. In addition, most of the users of the other applications used them primarily for viewing and light editing purposes, with only a small number of heavy users: 2% in PowerPoint, 9% in Word and 19% in Excel.
These results are in line with what industry analysts have stated that companies overspend on licenses that are not being used. According to SoftWatch estimates, by transitioning light users from MS Office to Google Apps, companies can save up to 90% on their Microsoft licensing fees.
A SaaS-based solution, SoftWatch helps enterprises manage and optimize their business applications usage as they embark on a move to a cloud environment. Its patent-pending technology detects to what extent employees are actually using MS Office applications -- not just who has opened an app, and provides user segmentation to light and heavy users for both on premise and web-based apps. Data is displayed in a dashboard, making it easy to determine what an enterprise really needs in terms of MS licenses, how to effectively transition to Google Apps, and how much money can be saved.
"By uncovering the fact that MS Office applications are actually used much less than had been thought, SoftWatch removes the fear and doubt that traps decision makers when it comes to transitioning from Microsoft to Google Apps. For the first time they will have real data enabling them to make intelligent decisions about transitioning to Google Apps, enjoy the benefits of an alternative cloud-based solution and significantly cut their software license spending," said Uri Arad, co-CEO, SoftWatch. "The analytics provided by SoftWatch are a real game-changer in the competition between Google and Microsoft over enterprise office and collaboration tools."
SoftWatch is already teaming with a number of premier Google Apps resellers worldwide including Onix (www.onixnet.com), gPartner (www.gpartner.eu), Infoanalitica (www.infoanalitica.com) and Ancoris (www.ancoris.com). The company expects to engage with most major Google Apps resellers in the near future.
"In addition to helping enterprises navigate a transition from Microsoft Office to Google Apps, SoftWatch can help enterprises optimize additional applications as well as cloud based services such as SalesForce.com, Google Apps and more. This will enable enterprises to reduce IT costs and maximize their investments in software applications," said Moshe Kozlovski, co-CEO, SoftWatch. "We strongly believe that when transforming IT to a hybrid cloud environment, usage information is mandatory to effectively manage and optimize this complex evolving environment."
About SoftWatch
SoftWatch is a leader in Application Usage analytics. With its SaaS solution, it enables enterprises to effectively manage the transition of business applications to the cloud, optimize their hybrid cloud environment and reduce software spending. The Israel-based company has patents pending for its software usage and user segmentation solutions. For more information, visit www.softwatch.com.
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