SaaS Application
Software as a service (SaaS) is a way of delivering applications over the Internet—as a service. SaaS applications are sometimes called Web-based software, on-demand software, or hosted software. Whatever the name, SaaS applications run on a SaaS provider's servers.
Today's global software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry generates about $209 billion in revenue. The core concept of online service applications which inspired early SaaS companies, began in 1961 by a computing pioneer better known as a founding father of artificial intelligence: John McCarthy.
Software as a service (SaaS) is a way of delivering applications over the Internet—as a service. SaaS applications are sometimes called Web-based software, on-demand software, or hosted software. Whatever the name, SaaS applications run on a SaaS provider's servers.
SaaS offers many potential advantages over traditional business software installation models, including:
- initial cost: SaaS is generally subscription-based and has no initial license fees, which results in lower upfront costs. The SaaS provider manages the IT infrastructure that runs the software, which reduces the fees for hardware and software maintenance.
- Quick configuration and deployment: The SaaS application is already installed and configured in the cloud. This speeds up the start-up process, since you only need to register in the SaaS solution and some other small configuration.
- Simple updates: SaaS providers take care of hardware and software updates, deploy updates on hosted applications and eliminate this workload and responsibility of customers.
- Accessibility: All you need to access a SaaS application is a browser and an Internet connection. It is usually available on a wide range of devices and from anywhere in the world, which makes SaaS more accessible than traditional enterprise software installations.
- Scalability: SaaS providers generally offer many subscription options and flexibility to change plans when necessary, for example, when your business grows or when more users (employees) need access to the service.
It also removes the need for organizations to install and run applications on their own computers or in their own data centers. This eliminates the expense of hardware acquisition, provisioning and maintenance, as well as software licensing, installation and support.