For corporations to get the most out of Software as a Service (SaaS), IT departments must prepare managers to deal with the applications limitations and surprises. They should take into account any SaaS-related functionality when considering a new technology purchase. They must also consider key requirements for SaaS initiatives that may top the list, such as bandwidth needs and the cost of integration. IT managers can rely on a standard enterprise application review process that delves into the important decision points for choosing the right SaaS application and vendor for a particular project. A request for published RTO/RPO service levels means getting the vendors expected recovery time and recovery point objectives in writing. Ask the vendor about its data center model to learn the number of redundant sites it maintains, and its ability to comply with the companys internal disaster-recovery plan by providing data dumps when necessary. Other discussion points include track record for providing SaaS and support, penetration testing and vulnerability assessments, and options for customizing the application to meet the needs of a particular company. Some of the bigger SaaS players in sales force automation and CRM include RightNow Technologies, NetSuite, Salesforce.com, Microsoft and Oracle. Those that are strong on the payroll and expenses side are Workday, ADP, MasterCard and Paychex.