The alleged savings for Internet-based applications come only if businesses can avoid buying new hardware and networking products and having to maintain these. But there are things like Microsoft Office and third-part products and who knows how many other applications. So, if all these applications aren't being run via the Web, can the promise of SaaS be realized?  There is still a need for computers to run these and staff to support them. The more this line of reasoning went on, the more I thought of what Thomson Reuters has done with its Virtual Office CS which provides Web-based access to its tax and accounting applications, but also to the Microsoft Office Suite. That includes access to the company's Client Bookkeeping Solution or to QuickBooks via hoster Right Networks. So what's the answer for companies that have many more applications? Should they examine Google Apps and eliminate part of that issue? Can an office that's only part SaaS-based realize the advantages of the Web?