SaaS (software as a service) is an oft-discussed product that is becoming an increasingly important asset of the modern IT market.
Businesses that adopt an SaaS solution may rave about its benefits, but until you have a better understanding of what it can offer and why you should adopt you might be reluctant to see what it can do.
In short, SaaS is a type of cloud computing technology that relies on remotely hosted software delivered to a business or single end user via a data connection. This means that customers are not running the software on their local machine or network, but are instead using a third-party server farm to get the job done.
This has several benefits, one of which is that there is no need for excessive on-premises processing power or constant software installation and updates in order to run the latest programs. Instead, this is all handled by your provider at their end.
As such, you can often access the services not only from in the office, but from any device and location with an internet connection. Since the software will often be made available via a web browser, the barrier for entry is very low.
This is clearly a good solution for small and medium-sized businesses, which may not otherwise be able to access the types of resources that make such software available in-house. Large companies and corporations are also adopting SaaS in droves, so it can have an impact across multiple industries and sectors.
SaaS platforms can allow you to host e-mail clients, software applications, file sharing and many other types of services that are valuable to modern businesses.
When hosting e-mails, data and apps remotely rather than on-site, you will be able to increase the level of IT protection that is delivered. This is because cloud vendors have a duty of care to their customers and need to keep security systems as resilient and up to date as possible.
This would be a costly task for individual businesses to undertake on their own, but by opting for a hosted solution you are essentially banding together with other companies in order to ensure that there is plenty of investment in security without the upfront costs or concerns over data loss and breaches that could exist further down the road.
The convenience and ease of access delivered by an SaaS platform can help your business in other ways, particularly when it comes to productivity and collaboration.
Being able to access business e-mails while on the move from a tablet or smartphone, or indeed using these devices to download and upload documents while out in the field, will help staff become more flexible. There will be no need to stay stuck in the office if you want to get particular IT tasks competed, since the software that supports them can be accessed remotely.
This in turn will lead to cost savings and should improve operational efficiency, while also allowing your business to avoid the expense usually associated with maintenance and updating such software.
With more and more companies using SaaS platforms based in the cloud to help host their vital programs and services, it will be easier to collaborate with partners and clients, as well as stave off the advances of competitors.
All that this requires is the belief of a business that it will be able to reap the rewards of SaaS. While adoption may require that you make a real change in your approach to IT, failing to do so could result in the technical stagnation of your business, which is undoubtedly the real threat.
Daisy Group are a leading provider of SaaS. Find out more by visiting their website.