HR software is becoming an indispensable and ever more sophisticated tool for the profession. From the evolution of Software as a Service to clever e-learning tools and mobile technology, Helen Williams asks a wide selection of HR software providers and experts what they think HR will demand from software applications in 2010.

Tony Flanagan, marketing manager at HR software company Cezanne Software says: "SaaS is fundamentally changing the way software is delivered and offers customers a way to reduce costs and maintenance overheads. Not everyone wants to, or can afford to, pay to have their software 'tailored' and then pay the costs associated with upgrading these tailored solutions when the underlying technology platform changes or the vendor announces a new release.

We believe companies will increasingly look to SaaS, perhaps with more emphasis on add-on solutions first (such as e-recruitment, succession planning, and performance management), but increasingly core HR processes too. We patch our SaaS HR solution with new functionality every month – a process that happens overnight and is invisible to our clients. This will become the model of the future."