Software as a Service or SaaS is a model for software distribution that allows applications to be hosted by a service provider and supplied to the customer over the Internet. This model is rapidly gaining in popularity as businesses become aware of how easy it is to access a large number of programs without needing to have server or storage space. In many cases, SaaS can save companies money in several ways, including allowing them to access software without the need for expensive overhead.

How Does SaaS Work?

Software as a Service is not new. For several years, ASP or application service provider and on-demand computing software delivery models have been available to customers who needed on-the-go availability in their software or who did not have the desire to set up large servers to handle the increasing size of software programs. Now, however, SaaS has made it even easier to take advantage of remote software through a paid service. There are two models commonly used for SaaS. The first is known as a "hosted application management" or "hosted AM" model. In this type of SaaS, the provider hosts commercially available software for users on the web. This is a common type of SaaS for those who want to use programs like Microsoft Office without installing it on their own servers or, worse still, on each individual device that will use the program. The "software on demand" SaaS is slightly different. In this model, the provider offers customers access to a single copy of the software that is specially designed for remote sharing. This is a great way for companies to purchase specific software for individual use without having to buy for the entire company.

Why Choose SaaS?

SaaS offers several benefits to customers, including:

• Ease of administration. SaaS removes many of the administrative problems from those who need to push out large amounts of software or those who have many remote users.
• Patch management and automatic updates. SaaS makes updates and patch management much simpler for users through simultaneous pushes and guarantees that companies always have the latest software.
• Ease of collaboration. Because users are all tied to the same online source, collaborative efforts now become possible that could never be done with an on-site server.
• Better accessibility. Users have better accessibility, in many cases, with an SaaS model. No matter where they are, they can access the software they need as long as they have an Internet connection.

If you need help understanding your SaaS options or choosing the right one for your company, contact C3IT today.