What is SaaS?
Software as a Service (SaaS) is also known as 'on-demand' software.
SaaS is one part of Cloud Computing. Cloud Computing is an all embracing term to describe the hardware and software that can be ‘rented’ and used over the internet. With SaaS, the software is provided 'as a service' to users across the internet on an 'on-demand' basis.
This means that:- There's no hardware or software to buy, install or maintain, even as you grow
- There's no large up front costs
- You don't have the burden of software maintenance and management
- You can access your systems & data from anywhere, at any time
- You can be productive from any computer or mobile device
SaaS Benefits
- More cost effective - You pay only for what you use, as you use it, with no up-front expenses or commitments.
- Faster deployment - Faster initial deployment, development and release of new software functionality/upgrades.
- Greater availability - Many vendors guarantee, by way of SLAs, 99.9% availability of their applications.
- More scaleable - The service provider is responsible for ensuring bandwidth for anticipated levels of usage.
- Security & compliancy – Security features are built in e.g. virus protection, data archiving and encryption.
- Better use of resources – IT skills are outsourced to the service provider's own experts, meaning your in-house resources are free to concentrate on more business critical matter
