I came across an interesting article on NetworkWorld echoing my (and perhaps many other peoples) views.

The thesis is straightforward - Being a SaaS vendor ain’t big daddy’s play. And Apple and Microsoft don’t have what it takes to be an efficient SaaS provider, at least not so far.

Being a SaaS vendor is not simply about having a lot of money and plunging into the business. It’s a distinctive competence that is developed after years of experience. Apple has always been a hardware company, and Microsoft a software company.

But since SaaS is here to stay, and SaaS is where its at, these companies cannot afford not be part of this market. The learning curve though, will be slow and painstaking, and consumers may have to suffer through it, as amply demonstrated by the MobileMe debacle.

In the meantime, experienced SaaS players like SalesForce and HyperOffice have a chance to stake their advantage and beat the rest of the pack.