Everything You Need To Know About SaaS
Everything You Need To Know About SaaS
Enterprises today are looking to minimize their costs wherever possible to maintain their
competitive advantage. One of the most important steps in this direction is to move the IT
operations from physical infrastructure to virtual infrastructure. This allows them to further
improve the efficiency of their operations and, at the same time, reduce the costs
significantly. SaaS is today empowering businesses globally.
In the last few years, the popularity of SaaS platforms has increased manifolds, and it is
quickly becoming the preferred option for businesses looking to virtualize their operations.
Earlier, it was believed that the SaaS model is meant only for small and medium businesses
as big corporations prefer in-house IT infrastructure. But as the benefits of SaaS have become
known, even the big corporates are adopting SaaS as their preferred deployment model.
What is SaaS?
SaaS or Software-as-a-Service is a cloud-based technology that enables software developers
to deliver their products and services over the internet. With SaaS, you need not go through
the hassles of downloading software and installing it before being able to use it. SaaS
platforms allow the users to access various types of software over the internet with any
compatible browser. This allows the users to access their data and files from anywhere,
allowing completion of the required tasks from anywhere and at any time. Here are some of
the essential features of cloud-native SaaS solutions which will certainly catch your attention:
- Users: SaaS products are targeted specifically at end-users; they can be individuals as
well as corporates. Cloud computing has a broad set of target users, including
developers, coders, programmers, supper-service providers, etc.
In addition to being extremely competitive, the business environment in the present times has
become extremely complex as well. There are various stakeholders that are involved in the
decision-making process, geographical boundaries are being obliterated, technology is
upgrading at a rapid pace, and several other developments are making it extremely
challenging for the businesses to maintain their competitive advantage.
This is where enterprise SaaS platforms have emerged as a savior for modern-day
businesses by allowing them to leverage the many benefits offered by SaaS. The SaaS
business model offers some really interesting advantages for the businesses, such as:
- SaaS is scalable: SaaS applications are scalable, i.e., they can be programmed to
handle high volumes of data and information in a seamless manner. This enables
access to up to date reports for informed decision making.
- SaaS solutions offer excellent flexibility as the users can access the application from
any device at any given point in time. As such, users can access their data and files,
even when they are traveling.
- SaaS solutions enjoy a high degree of transparency. Users are informed well in
advance regarding the subscription charges which they need to pay for accessing the
application. It allows for the allocation of necessary financial resources for the same.
- SaaS solutions are pocket-friendly. Users get access to the latest updates and features
of an application without incurring any additional cost on infrastructure updates. The
ongoing cost of software development is included in the subscription fees.
- The resources required for SaaS deployment in terms of time and money are much
lower as compared to traditional infrastructure. Cloud-based SaaS applications can
also be deployed across a wide geographic region simultaneously, enabling big
corporations to ensure uniformity in their operation.
- Users have complete control over SaaS applications. They can add or remove any
features or services as and when required. Separate user IDs can be created for
different users as per requirement.
- Plan a SaaS strategy: You need to have a proper transition strategy in place when
you are migrating to SaaS applications. You must fully understand the implications of
the decision on the short-term and long-term prospects of your business. Study the
various SaaS strategies available and then choose one which meets your requirements.
- Understand the implications: Do not opt for SaaS just because everyone else is
doing it. Make sure you spend some time understanding the implications of this
decision on the short-term and long-term prospects of your business.
- Manage the costs: While the initial cost of SaaS applications is much lower than
traditional applications, this can change soon. As your organization grows and
expands quickly, you must have adequate provision of funds for meeting the
additional expenses on new subscriptions. Investing in an enterprise SaaS platform
and then running out of money for the same will be detrimental for your business.
- Technical Expertise: As the SaaS applications are usually updated at a rapid pace,
your personnel must be able to keep up with the pace. You should therefore make
adequate arrangements for training and upskilling of your staff when you are
migrating to SaaS.
The excellent potential of SaaS technology platforms is beyond any doubt as the benefits
being offered to the users are extremely attractive. You should also contemplate migrating to
SaaS applications to leverage these advantages for your business. Though, before making a
final decision, weigh all the important factors to avoid any hassles later on.