You have heard someone singing praises of software as a service and it has sparked your interest in this technology. Now you certainly want to know how this cloud-based Software As A Service can be beneficial for your business especially in terms of performance, data safety and money.
What is SAAS?
Software As A Service is an internet based software distribution model. In this model, there is a software provider who develops, hosts and distributes a software product. The Software As A Service provider then makes software available to clients through the internet. It is a pay-as-you-go basis model.
SAAS endows you with the ability to manage your workflow anytime and from any part of the world. Traditionally, businesses have been buying software licenses and installing software products on the local machines in their own spaces. The responsibilities of licensing, installation, upgradation and support fall on the shoulders of the Software As A Service provider. You, the client simply has to purchase a plan and use the features provided to you. There are different SAAS solutions for different needs of a business such as marketing, collaboration, customer services, human resource management and a lot more. Some of the most popular SAAS solutions include:
- Microsoft 365
- Google Apps
- Dropbox
- Slack
- Salesforce
- Cisco WebEx
- Citrix GoToMeeting
Key differences between Traditional Software and SAAS
In the case of traditional software products, you purchase a license and install the software on your computer. The license is usually only for one or a few computers. And, you will have to update the software product.
On the other hand, in the case of SAAS, you subscribe to a monthly or yearly plan which might be a basic plan, plus plan or a premier plan. You are charged when you buy, renew or upgrade your subscription. Bulk licensing is easy. You can access services on multiple devices with a single login.
What are the benefits of SAAS?
No hardware cost
If you have read the documentation of any software you have purchased, there are some software and hardware requirements. And, if you don’t meet these requirements, you will either have to invest in the required software and hardware or you will have to find some other software. All the processing power you need is provided by the cloud services provider. Apart from the subscription cost, you will have to incur no additional cost.
Scalability
One good day you recognize that now it is time to expand your business. It is great that your business is growing. However, you will need more processing power, more storage and more data security. Your Software As A Service provider will scale up the power and storage you need to accommodate your increasing business needs. You can upgrade or downgrade the subscription plan anytime you want.
Availability
You are working in the office, just log in. You want to work from home, just log in. You are on a business trip or you are on a family vacation, just enter your username and password and you are good to go.
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