Earlier this week, Sigma Systems announced that its Sigma Cloud ServiceBroker is now generally available around the world to cable operators and service providers. While managing telecommunications business services, the Cloud ServiceBroker platform includes VoIP and broadband services, as well as cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS (News - Alert)) applications.

Service providers using Cloud ServiceBroker can extend SaaS offerings to their small- and medium-sized business customers, as well as residential customers. Sigma said the platform reduces costs, removes operational silos and reduces overall CAPEX and OPEX (News - Alert), as well as shortened deployment cycles.

"By offering the Cloud ServiceBroker as an extension of our existing OSS fulfillment platform, Sigma has created a way for service providers to rapidly and efficiently realize new revenue opportunities from SaaS applications," said Tim Spencer, president and COO of Sigma Systems.

He added that business customers will benefit from having a single, trusted source for cloud services that will help them to better manage and grow their businesses, since many lack the time or knowledge to investigate, select and deploy SaaS services on their own. Sigma listed Mozy, SugarCRM, Symantec.cloud, Vertical Response, Google (News - Alert) Apps and F-Secure Antivirus among the global SaaS providers that have integrated with Cloud ServiceBroker.

Deb Osswald, IDC Research’s vice president of CSP (News - Alert) operations, stated that while delivering new and differentiated value to customers, offering cloud services as an extension of its existing product portfolio is an important way for service providers to further monetize its existing infrastructure. Service providers that take advantage of opportunities to become a trusted supplier of mission-critical business solutions to their enterprise customers are in a far better position to improve customer retention, loyalty and grow ARPU.

By 2015, the SaaS market is forecasted to grow to $53.6 billion and make up 73 percent of the public cloud services revenue, according to IDC. Sigma’s cable operator customers include Charter Communications (News - Alert), Cox Communications, Rogers Communications and Cogeco.