In this article we finally get to the higher level of Cloud Computing Services: SaaS or Software as a Service.
Cloud Computing Services: SaaS
Cloud Computing SaaS – Software as a Service
SaaS (Software as a Service) is a software distribution model in which a third-party provider hosts applications and makes them available to customers over the Internet. It is sometimes referred to as “on-demand software”. Software as a Service – SaaS has become a common delivery model for many business applications, including office and messaging software, payroll processing software, DBMS Software, management software, customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), invoicing and much more. One of the biggest pluses of this type of solution is to reduce IT support costs by outsourcing hardware and software maintenance and support to the SaaS provider.
Software as a Service – SaaS removes the need for organisations to install and run applications on their own computers or in their own datacenters. This eliminates the expense of hardware and maintenance, as well as software licensing, installation and support.
As all the other Cloud Computing levels a SaaS model include the following advantages:
- Flexible payments.
- Scalable usage.
- Automatic updates.
- Accessibility and persistence.
- Turnkey solution.
You can easily subscribe to a SaaS offering and pay for the service on a monthly basis using a pay-as-you-go model. As any other Cloud based system, Software as a Service – SaaS offer high scalability, which gives customers the option to access more, or fewer, services or features on-demand. The SaaS provider will automatically perform updates and patches, further reducing the burden on in-house IT staff. Since SaaS applications are delivered over the Internet, users can access them from any Internet-enabled device and location. A SaaS software is already installed and configured. In a couple hours you can have the application ready for use. This reduces the time spent to install and configure and completely removes any issues related to these aspects. Hardware, software license and support costs are included in the SaaS solution making it easier to estimate the overall cost in advance compared to the traditional model.