SaaS – Testimony from Secib

Founded in 1989, Secib specialises in publishing software and information systems aimed at the legal professions.

Based in France and Belgium, this historical BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions partner has made a business of durably improving the performance of law firms thanks to innovative and powerful IT solutions.

The firm’s CEO, Hugues Galambrun, agreed to reply to a few questions.

What were your requirements when you called in BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions?

We are software publishers and are currently switching from a licence-based to a service-based SaaS* business model. This type of offering has a number of significant advantages: automatic maintenance and updates, the ability to use the software with a simple Internet connection, and budget control since payment is based on usage. So, we believe this solution had to be extended to all our customers.

Nonetheless, switching from one business model to another is a complex issue. Leasing is an obvious way of developing our business. Had Secib started out in the leasing world without a financial partner, the company would not have been able to benefit from immediate, secure earnings.

We therefore needed a financial partner who knew the leasing business and could grasp our challenges in terms of cash flow. The legal aspect was also a major issue that needed support.

To what extent did BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions’ offer meet your needs?

We succeeded in building a truly customised solution and a contract that legally fits my company.

Thanks to this offer, we are generating immediate income, and, more importantly, we’re switching from a licence to a service-based model without putting our business at risk. As for my customers, they now have a flexible, economical solution they can access anywhere.

What benefits are you getting from the Secib / BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions partnership?

For me, BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions is more than a third party loan provider: it’s a special partner that provides both advice and expertise. BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions’ people were with us every inch of the way while we were building our business offering. Thanks to them, we always find the right solutions to come up with offerings that are both attractive to our customers and profitable for us.

In addition, the vast majority of our customers (95%) switched to the SaaS model smoothly: they are basically highly satisfied with this solution as it empowers them to work more flexibly.

*SaaS (Software as a service): Software as a service. SaaS lets people use software without having to install it on a computer because it is hosted on the Cloud.