How would you define the success of Riverbed Technology's SaaS Accelerator for improving cloud application performance?

Introduction

Defining the success of Riverbed Technology's SaaS Accelerator for improving cloud application performance requires a comprehensive approach that considers multiple stakeholders and metrics. I'll follow a structured framework covering product context, success metrics hierarchy, and strategic initiatives to provide a holistic view of how we can measure and drive the product's success.

Step 1

Product Context

Riverbed's SaaS Accelerator is a software-defined WAN optimization solution designed to improve the performance of SaaS applications like Office 365, Salesforce, and ServiceNow. It addresses the challenge of latency and network congestion that often plague cloud-based applications, especially for users in remote or branch offices.

Key stakeholders include:

1. IT administrators: Seeking to improve application performance and user satisfaction
2. End-users: Expecting fast, reliable access to cloud applications
3. SaaS providers: Interested in ensuring their applications perform well for customers
4. Riverbed: Aiming to grow market share and revenue in the WAN optimization space

User flow typically involves:

1. IT admin deploys and configures SaaS Accelerator
2. End-users access SaaS applications through their normal workflow
3. SaaS Accelerator optimizes traffic in real-time, improving application responsiveness

The product fits into Riverbed's broader strategy of providing comprehensive digital experience management solutions. It complements their existing WAN optimization and network performance monitoring tools.

Competitors in this space include Aryaka and Cisco, but Riverbed's focus on SaaS-specific optimization sets it apart. The product is in the growth stage of its lifecycle, with increasing adoption as more organizations shift to cloud-based applications.

Software-specific context:

• Platform: Software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) architecture
• Integration points: Network infrastructure, SaaS applications, and existing Riverbed solutions
• Deployment model: Cloud-based service with on-premises components