Skip to main content

Business-to-Business Client Relationships in the Cloud Computing Software as a Service Realm

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Industry Trends in Cloud Computing

Abstract

Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) markets are discussed before B2B Software as a Service (SaaS) supplier–subscriber relationships are explored. The progressive customer relationship management (CRM) framework is adapted to the B2B SaaS market, incorporating a guide to data mining in this environment. Subscriber needs, motivation and expectations along with their approach to opportunity: risk assessment is considered before contemplating the expectation of value co-creation between the B2B subscriber and provider. Initial subscription criteria are presented before discussing the building of a sustainable client relationship through the delivery of a consistent quality service and the pursuit of both trust and loyalty as evolving assets.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1980). Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Armbrust, M., Fox, A., Griffith, R., Joseph, A., Katz, R., Konwinski, A., Lee, G., Patterson, D., Rabkin, A., Stoica, I., & Zaharia, M. (2010). A view of Cloud Computing. Communications of the ACM, 53(4), 50–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bardhan, I. R., Demirkan, H., Kannan, P. K., Kauffman, R. J., & Sougstad, R. (2010). An interdisciplinary perspective on IT services management and service science. Journal of Management Information Systems, 26(4), 13–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barqawi, N., Syed, K., & Mathiassen, L. (2016). Applying service-dominant logic to recurrent release of software: An action research study. The Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 31(7), 928–940.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benlian, A., & Hess, T. (2011). Opportunities and risks of software-as-a-service: Findings from a survey of IT executives. Decision Support Systems, 52, 232–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benlian, A., Koufaris, M., & Hess, T. (2011). Service quality in software-as-a-service: Developing the SaaS-Qual measure and examining its role in usage continuance. Journal of Management Information Systems, 28(3), 85–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berthon, P., Ewing, M., Pitt, L., & Naude, P. (2003). Understanding B2B and the web: The acceleration of coordination and motivation. Industrial Marketing Management, 32, 553–561.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brumec, S., & Vrcek, N. (2013). Cost effectiveness of commercial computing Clouds. Information Systems, 38, 495–508.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bunduchi, R. (2008). Trust, power and transaction costs in B2B exchanges – A socio-economic approach. Industrial Marketing Management, 37, 610–622.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buyya, R., Yeo, C. S., Venugopal, S., Broberg, J., & Brandic, I. (2009). Cloud computing and emerging IT platforms: Vision, hype, and reality for delivering computing as the 5th utility. Future Generation Computer Systems, 25(6), 599–616.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, I. J., & Popovich, K. (2003). Understanding customer relationship management (CRM). Business Process Management Journal, 9(5), 672–688.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cigliano, J., Georgiadis, M., Pleasance, D., & Whailey, S. (2000). The price of loyalty. The McKinsey Quarterly, 4, 68–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clohessy, T., Acton, T., Morgan, L., & Conboy, K. (2016). The times they are a-changin for ICT service provision: A Cloud computing business model perspective. 24th European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS) research paper. Istanbul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dempsey, D. (2015). Exploring a business to business recurring revenue framework for the delivery of software as a service through a Cloud Computing channel. Unpublished Thesis, Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dubey, A., & Wagle, D. (2007, May). Delivering software as a service. The McKinsey Quarterly, Web exclusive, 1–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dustbar, S., & Wien, T. U. (2016). Cloud Computing. Computer 49(2), 12–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fayyad, U., Piatetsky-Shapiro, G., & Smyth, P. (1996, Fall). From data mining to knowledge discovery in databases. American Association of Artificial Intelligence 17(3), 37–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleming, D., Lynch, P., & Kelliher, F. (2016). The process of evaluating business to business relationships facing dissolution. Industrial Marketing Management, 58, 83–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flint, D. J., Blocker, C. P., & Boutin, P. J., Jr. (2011). Customer value anticipation, customer satisfaction and loyalty: An empirical examination. Industrial Marketing Management, 40, 219–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garg, S. K., Versteeg, S., & Buyya, R. (2013). A framework for ranking of Cloud Computing services. Future Generation Computer Systems, 29, 1012–1023.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gewald, H., & Dibbern, J. (2009). Risks and benefits of business process outsourcing: A study of transaction services in the German banking industry. Information and Management, 46(4), 249–257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gounaris, S. (2005). Measuring service quality in B2B services: An evaluation of the SERVQUAL scale vis-à-vis the INDSERV scale. Journal of Services Marketing, 19(6), 421–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grobauer, B., Walloschek, T., & Stoker, E. (2011, March/April). Understanding Cloud computing vulnerabilities. IEEE Computer and Reliability Societies, 50–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo, J. (2007). Business-to-business electronic market place selection. Enterprise Information Systems, 1(4), 383–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kauffman, R. J., & Sougstad, R. (2008). Risk management of contract portfolios in IT services: The profit-at-risk approach. Journal of Management Information Systems, 25(1), 17–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, M.-K., Park, M.-C., & Jeong, D.-H. (2004). The effects of customer satisfaction and switching barrier on customer loyalty in Korean mobile telecommunication services. Telecommunications Policy, 28(2), 145–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, C.-T., Guo, Y. M., & Lee, C.-H. (2011). The effects of relationship quality and switching barriers on customer loyalty. International Journal of Information Management, 31, 71–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moreno-Vozmediano, R., Montero, R. S., & Llorente, I. M. (2013, July/Augest). Key challenges in Cloud computing, enabling the future Internet of services. IEEE Internet Computing, 17, 18–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, R. P. (2000). A consumer-orientated framework of brand equity and loyalty. International Journal of Market Research, 42(1), 65–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, R. L. (1999). Whence consumer loyalty? Journal of Marketing, 63(4), 33–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, R. L., & Bearden, W. O. (1985). Disconfirmation processes and consumer evaluations in product usage. Journal of Business Research, 13(3), 235–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osterwalder, A. (2004). The business model ontology – A proposition in a design science approach. Unpublished thesis, Université de Lausanne.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osterwalder, A., & Pigneur, Y. (2010). Business model generation: A handbook for visionaries, game changers, and challengers. Hoboken: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1985). A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research. Journal of Marketing, 49(4), 41–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter, M. E. (1980). Industry structure and competitive strategy: Keys to profitability. Financial Analysts Journal, 36(4), 30–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Priem, R. L. (2007). A consumer perspective on value creation. Academy of Management, 32(1), 219–235.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pring, B., & Lo, T. (2009). Dataquest insight: SaaS adoption trends in the U.S. and U.K. Stamford: Gartner.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rauyruen, P., & Miller, K. E. (2007). Relationship quality as a predictor of B2B customer loyalty. Journal of Business Research, 60, 21–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reichheld, F., & Schefter, P. (2000). E-loyalty. Harvard Business Review, 78(4), 105–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, C., & Varian, H. R. (1999). Information rules. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slywotzky, A. J. (2000). The age of the choiceboard. Harvard Business Review, 78(1), 40–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, M. (2013, May 17). Customer experience. Keynote speaker. [Internet] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXRJl73KsR0. Accessed May 2017.

  • Tomlinson, E. C., & Mayer, R. C. (2009). The role of causal attribution dimensions in trust repair. Academy of Management Review, 34(1), 85–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turunen, H. (2013). Customer satisfaction in B2B Cloud services. Unpublished Master’s thesis, Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, University of Jyvaskyla.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, L. (2013, Augest 1). Customer loyalty programmes… why bother! TEDxTeAro. [Internet] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EkiOwoLz-4. Accessed May 2017.

  • Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning and identity. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Winer, R. S. (2001). A framework for customer relationship management. California Management Review, 43(4), 89–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woisetschlager, D. M., Lentz, P., & Evanschitzky, H. (2011). How habits, social ties, and economic switching barriers affect customer loyalty in contractual service settings. Journal of Business Research, 64, 800–808.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Dempsey, D., Kelliher, F. (2018). Business-to-Business Client Relationships in the Cloud Computing Software as a Service Realm. In: Industry Trends in Cloud Computing. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63994-9_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics