How SaaS benefits your organisation
Software as a Service (SaaS) has proven to be a successful software delivery platform over the past few years. Gartner defines SaaS as “software that is owned, delivered and managed remotely by one or more providers. The provider delivers software based on one set of common code and data definitions that is consumed in a one-to-many model by all contracted customers at any time on a pay-for-use basis or as a subscription based on use metrics.”
Historically, most IT systems that were provided to customers were delivered on an on-premise basis, whereby purchasing a license from a particular vendor and the equipment needed to run the system. With the emergence of the new innovations trending in society today, customers have expressed that they would pay for a service instead, similarly to the way electricity and water is purchased.
These are the advantages of implementing SaaS in an organisation:
- SaaS vendors provide and manage the IT infrastructure
- There is no need to invest in any new hardware or software
- It is cheaper and less risky – saving costs on employing people to maintain IT infrastructure
- SaaS can be deployed within an organisation almost instantly
- SaaS is available anytime and anywhere (operates in the cloud)
- Upgrades are applied to the account automatically
- The upgrades are seamless and the vendor is responsible for the migration of data and installation
As a consumer, the freedom of choice is important. With SaaS, clients do not pay to own the software, but subscribe for the service it provides. Customers can also choose to terminate services whenever they like, within reason and depending on the contract period chosen. Also, choosing a provider that best suits your organisation is crucial and SaaS hosts a wide range of companies who offer this service. All you need to do is sign up for an account, test drive the free version and then evaluate if the software meets the specific needs for your business.
