Polaris, backed by Replicon, has launched Polaris PSA -- a cloud-based professional services automation software platform that provides 'self-driving' capabilities to IT service providers, the company asserts.
Parent Replicon is a "time intelligence company" that offers a suite of software designed to help users manage time, projects, people and profits. Replicon's customers include PwC, SAS, NTT, NSC Global and other large global customers. Compared to Replicon, the Polaris PSA launch is a bit more targeted than -- designed for professional services leaders who want a PSA system that can "do the heavy lifting, analyzing real-time data, and delivering live recommendations on the best possible choices to decide from," the company says.
Polaris PSA surfaces in a growing but very crowded market. Indeed, there are more than 30 PSA software platforms in the market, though each PSA offering tends to support a specific type of professional services customer.
For instance, PSA offerings like FinancialForce and Kimble are designed for customers that typically run Salesforce cloud CRM. Meanwhile, options like ConnectWise Manage, Datto Autotask and Kaseya BMS typically attract MSPs and small business IT services providers. Also, upstarts like Syncro and Atera each have PSA momentum in certain MSP sectors.
Polaris PSA for IT Service Providers: More Details
So where does Polaris PSA potentially fit into the conversation? The software targets multiple market segments -- including IT service providers, marketing and media firms, engineering companies, architectural firms and embedded service organizations. Polaris PSA's user interface -- called MissionControl -- gives real-time visibility into such business metrics as profits, margins, revenues and more, the company says.
In a prepared statement about the Polaris PSA launch, Replicon CEO Raj Narayanaswamy said:
“There’s a recurring theme across the thousands of services customers we work with, which is that they are falling short of their overall profit potential, with undiscovered opportunities in bidding, utilization, expenses, and billing. We created the Polaris Self-driving PSA Solution to solve this problem so that firms can make better decisions, based on a real-time, accurate, holistic view of their total business across practices, clients, resources, projects and roles.”
We'll be watching to see if or how Polaris PSA seeks to further engage IT service providers.
