Zuora Helps Salesforce.com Partners Monetize Their AppExchange Listings

by Tricia Reilly

Zuora’s AppExchange team is gearing up for a busy Fall. This month, we’re hosting a webinar on Oct. 21st titled, Make Your AppExchange Listing Work for You. Featuring two of the most successful AppExchange vendors, Marketo and InsideView, as well as salesforce.com’s VP Alliances, we’ll share how Zuora is already helping AppExchange vendors monetize their listing.

Then, we’ll be taking the message to salesforce.com’s annual global gathering, Dreamforce ’09. We’ll be evangelizing our cloud and subscription commerce services, and launching a new product. We can’t tell you what it is, but you won’t want to miss out!

We’ll also be presenting at two sessions at Dreamforce and sponsoring the AppExchange Appreciation Party at Temple on Thursday evening.

Here’s how you can learn about how Zuora is helping the AppExchange community:

• Register for our Webinar on October 21st - Make Your AppExchange Listing Work for You
• Come See Us at Dreamforce ’09
  • Register and use promo code EXH50050 to save $100 http://www.salesforce.com/dreamforce/DF09/site/
• Drop by Booth #203 or our demo station in the Salesforce.com Campground and talk Cloud Computing, AppExchange, and all things Subscription Commerce.
• Attend our Sessions
  • 11/19 @ 7.30AM: Tien Tzuo, Maximize Your Revenues: Market and Deliver Your Solutions on the AppExchange
  • 11/20 @ 9AM: Tricia Reilly, Bridging the Gap: VP Sales & Marketing
• Follow us on Twitter – we’ll be tweeting from both shows from the handle @Zuora!

Cloud Commerce is alive and well at Structure09

by K. V. Rao

If you weren’t at GigaOM’s Structure ’09 event yesterday you were missing out. While so many events these days are struggling for attendees I was pleasantly surprised at all the activity. The halls were packed with the movers and shakers in the cloud computing industry including Zuora customers like Sun and GigaOM themselves. Of particular interest was HP's Russ Daniels who made the point that we are not living in Henry Ford's time where you could get any color you wanted, as long as it was black! It is about choice, flexibility, and time to market and one size does not fit all! We're excited to see so companies joining in the conversation, in addition to the usual cloud players like Salesforce.com, Amazon, and Microsoft, industry giants like IBM were also roaming the grounds looking for the latest Cloud solution....

Adopting Cloud Computing to Green Your Enterprise

by Tricia Reilly

At a recent Zuora board meeting, one of our board members, unable to find a paper cup in the kitchenette, returned to the board room mug in hand noting how ‘green’ a company we are.

At Zuora, we take a hands-on approach to efficient resource management and reducing our environmental impact. And although we strive to reduce waste, encourage recycling, and carpool as much as possible, making your business environmentally friendly can be a bit of a challenge.

The good news for us is that leveraging cloud computing services, running a subscription business, and implementation of SaaS projects all offer great ways to green your IT department.

But what’s good for the Earth can also be good for business:

• New “green” data centers equipped to handle cloud computing are finding ways to operate better, faster and more efficiently than in-house operations because it’s all they do. Better energy efficiency means a reduced carbon footprint.
• Subscription services delivered online are inherently green because you only pay for what you need as capacity is shared across multiple customer instances to reduce overall power, hardware, and software components.
• By leveraging services in the cloud, you free up valuable internal resources to focus on developing solutions that you can actually sell. And that means the kind of green you can take to the bank.

These points prove that greening your company can be an amazingly lucrative business option. If we are aware of the possibilities, we can make environmental consciousness an everyday reality of our corporate culture.

We are making progress but it’s really important to understand that everything from printing, faxing, and paper waste to use of computer hardware, data centers, and electricity impact how green your business is.

I can think of some innovative ways Zuora uses the cloud to reduce our carbon footprint: Google Docs, WebEx and eFax are just a few. What are some ways that your company uses cloud computing or SaaS projects to make your company greener?

Will the Public Sector Embrace Cloud Computing?

by Tien Tzuo

Recently, I came across an interesting headline in the Washington Post, “Government Turns Again To Cloud Computing”. The article begins: Skeptics take note: Cloud computing is taking hold.

The Pentagon has awarded another contract for cloud computer -- which, roughly speaking, involves putting software tools on the 'net and delivering them to users only when needed.

I’m not surprised. At salesforce.com, I had a ring-side seat to watch all sectors- including government- embrace the SaaS model to reach their goals. Salesforce.com’s customer list already boasts a wide range of federal, state, and local government customers. Why? Besides the obvious benefit of reducing IT costs, cloud computing deploys fast, is easy to use, and it scales.

Karen Evans, a top official for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), is pushing for greater government adoption of SaaS to cut development costs. According to InfoWorld, Karen says that the U.S. government needs to move to a more service-oriented software model.

Of course, we’ve heard concerns from the public sector over security in the cloud. But in my presentation at SaaS Gov 2007, I shared the facts that government and education sectors accounted for over half of all data loss events in 2006—and the majority of these were due to lost or stolen property. At salesforce.com, we saw corporations trusting their most sensitive applications and data to a Web-based service provider. Government Computer News reported that, “if corporate America can trust these types of applications to an outside service provider, the federal government won’t be far behind.” With a new line-up of SaaS champions tooting the cloud computing horn in Washington, I believe the trend is accelerating.

In the last month, newly appointed Federal CIO Vivek Kundra acknowledged that rolling out government-wide common IT services will pay off in the long run. Kundra has been a proponent of cloud computing in government since his days as the CIO of Washington, D.C., where he deployed Google Apps to all city employees. In fact, Information Week reports that the Federal government is moving its information portal, USA.gov, to a cloud computing infrastructure this month.

More momentum: Aneesh Chopra, former Secretary of Technology of Virginia, recently assumed the post of Federal CTO. The state of Virginia has a well-known reputation for advanced technology adoption. In fact, Arlington County is one of salesforce.com’s largest customers. Thanks to the power of cloud computing, Arlington County deployed a custom CRM system in just 3 months. Now field employees have direct access to data that was locked on employee PCs and individual servers. Arlington County represents the future of government in the cloud. As for me? I’m thrilled the top IT leadership in government is ready to go to the cloud.

The Open Cloud Manifesto

by Tien Tzuo

We’ve seen a lot of coverage this week about IBM’s Open Cloud Manifesto. IBM’s position is interesting and we certainly support the concept of an open cloud platform.

The whole point of cloud computing, and subscription services in general, is that you only pay for what you need. We’ve built Zuora on this premise and our customers are putting the subscription model to work in a variety of businesses and industries. Customers want choice – that’s what subscriptions are all about. Being open is critical to customer happiness. Open is good for consumers and good for the industry overall.

The last thing we want to do is return to the vendor lock-in of days past. Who likes being locked into a two-year contract with their wireless vendor? I would guess that most of you, when making a return at a retailer, prefer a refund versus store credit. None of us wants our hands tied.

We’ve certainly learned from our past experiences. WebEx and salesforce.com make it easy for customers to switch vendors. Though this approach may seem counterintuitive – why would you make it easy for customers to leave? – it makes a ton of sense. Choice and openness build trust. Trust is the most important thing between customers and vendors.

IBM’s step toward an open cloud is an important move for the industry. I look forward to watching this Manifesto emerge and take shape. And, over time, I expect Zuora to participate in the discussion. What do you think? What have you read on this topic that’s particularly insightful? Leave a comment and let me know.

Facebook Developers Make Money Through Subscriptions Thanks to Zuora’s Cloud Commerce Platform

by Erik Haus

Zuora’s Launch at DEMO 2009 was a huge success! First and foremost, we launched our latest product,

a really simple solution for Facebook developers looking for a better way to make money. Advertising and one-time purchases aren’t ideal for certain applications, but until now it was too difficult to offer subscription-based applications. But Z-Commerce for Facebook gives developers the tools they need to do just that –

• A subscription console,
• Plug-and-play commerce widgets,
• Access control API,
• User self-service subscription management.

Developers can now transform their applications into subscription based services with only a few lines of code.

Second, DEMO provided us with a great environment to spread the word out about Z-Commerce for Facebook. And judging by the great response we’ve had so far in the press, it seems that we’re doing something right.

Last, and most importantly, we were able to reach Facebook developers themselves. In addition to launching our product, we have also announced our "Subscribe, Don’t Advertise" contest. We are seeking innovative developers who want to turn their existing applications into subscription services with Z-Commerce for Facebook. We’ll select five winners, with each winning a free year of Z-Commerce for Facebook. The universe of possibilities of what you can do with Facebook applications just exploded.

I think Charles Cooper from CNET summed it up best, noting that Z-Commerce for Facebook makes Facebook a cloud computing platform ripe for innovation. If you’re a developer with a great idea for Facebook and need a better way to monetize, enter our contest!

The Business Cloud: Powered by the Z-Commerce Platform

by Tien Tzuo

We're starting off 2009 with a bang.

Today, we are launching our fourth and – in my opinion – our most important product to date: the Z-Commerce Platform. Following up on our Z-Billing, Z-Payments and Z-Force offerings, the Z-Commerce Platform is the very first development environment dedicated to helping developers monetize their cloud-based services.

Why did we do this now?

The 'Cloud Wars' are upon us – Microsoft, salesforce.com, Amazon, Google, HP, IBM, you name it – these companies are duking it out for ownership of the cloud. In the same way that Java, .NET, PHP and other languages fought for the hearts and minds of developers ten years ago, in 2009, we're going to see developers identify with major cloud platforms such as Force.com, AppEngine, AWS or Azure.

However, as exciting as this vision is, it's missing one big thing: how will these developers monetize all these services they build for the cloud? How will they get paid? Without a commerce component to fuel its growth, cloud computing cannot fulfill its true potential.

What developers need is a Business Cloud -- any easy way to add commerce capabilities such as subscription billing and recurring payments to the services they are building, and they need it in the same way that they use services from Amazon, or Google, or Force.com.

That's where the Z-Commerce Platform comes in.

The Z-Commerce Platform is the first example of the Business Cloud -- a set of cloud-based services dedicated to giving developers the tools they need to monetize the services they are building on cloud platforms.

You can learn more about the Z-Commerce Platform and get involved in the Z-Developer Network.

2009 is indeed shaping up to be the Year of the Cloud, and we are ready…

Zuora Launches Subscription Billing Offering and Closes 70 Customers in 2008

by Z-Team

Z-Friends -

It's hard to believe that 2008 will soon come to a close. It's been quite a year here at Zuora.

In late 2007, a bunch of friends from WebEx and salesforce.com got together and shared a common experience -- that building successful subscription businesses were hard -- and a common vision: that they shouldn't be. Our vision with Zuora was to create a world with thousands of Salesforce.com's and WebEx's, all subscription services, and all operating in the cloud.

In March 2008, we launched our vision onto the world, and found that it really resonated in the marketplace. We launched our flagship product, Z-Billing, in May, and then quickly followed up with Z-Payments and a partnership with PayPal. In November, at Salesforce.com's Dreamforce conference, we announced Z-Force, 100% built on the Force.com platform and fully integrated into Z-Billing and Z-Payments.

By the end of the year, our vision of the subscription economy and the power of on-demand billing and payments had resonated with more than 60 customers.

2008 was good to us.

This year ends on a high note – It is an honor to be included in Paul Greenberg's list of 'Companies to Watch in 2009'. As well, Elise Ackerman of the San Jose Mercury News did a nice write up of the reach and power of cloud computing, including a profile of Zuora.

We face 2009 with enthusiasm and encouragement. Even though the economy is struggling and there is much uncertainty in the business world – we strongly believe that innovation remains strong, that subscriptions are the business model of the future, and that now, more than ever, companies are looking for easier ways to build and monetize their subscription businesses.

The best to you and yours. See you in 2009.

The Z-Team

Reflections on Dreamforces Past and Present

by Tien Tzuo

It's the second day here at Dreamforce for Zuora, and the entire team is charged up from all the energy and ideas buzzing around the conference.

On a personal note, being at Dreamforce stirs up many mixed emotions for me.  Walking into the Moscone the first day, I saw Marc Benioff (my old boss, and an investor in Zuora) standing outside, and we chatted a bit before he had to head inside to prepare.  Marc looked back and shot me one last remark: "you know, this is the first Dreamforce we've had without you".

Indeed it is!  I can remember our first Dreamforce, at the St. Francis in Union Square, where we were proud to have 8 partners exhibiting.  Okere was one of the 8, and now they are Fujitsu Consulting and have a huge booth the size of the entire partner expo that year.  I can also remember the two Dreamforce's I ran as CMO of Salesforce, including the one during the last US election, when George Bush dropped in to kick things off.

How time flies.

Every Dreamforce has had its own flavor and character, and this one is no different.  One thing that jumps out at me is the contrast between the excitement around the future of Cloud Computing, with the concern around the global economy.  Are technology companies spooked by the negative buzz that was sparked by the Sequoia presentation?  Absolutely, but to the last person, everyone believes that the long term prospects of Cloud Computing are bright.

We couldn’t agree with them more.  Now is not the time to slam on the brakes, to reduce costs and "hibernate" through the winter.  Now is the time to look to the future.  That doesn't mean companies shouldn't reign in their costs and focus on a path to profitability.  But now is a great time to invest intelligently in your business. This is not time a time to weigh a company down with decisions and purchases that will pay off far in the future – it’s time to take actions that work NOW, fit NOW, are strategic NOW and – most importantly – actions that will still benefit the company next month, next year.

This is exactly why both the cloud and the subscription model are smart investments in any economy, and what at Zuora, we will continue to invest in creating great products that deliver positive business impact for our customers.

If you’re at the Dreamforce event today, come see us:

   -   Zuora will be at Force.com session today at 11:30am in Esplanade 305

   -   Tomorrow, Wednesday, I will present a session at Partner Day at 3:45pm on “How to Make More $$$"

And, come by and meet Zuora in-person. We’re at booth #230.