The technology industry is currently completely focused on the software as a service (SaaS) and cloud computing phenomenon. Despite this, many small to medium-sized businesses are only just becoming familiar with this type of technology and how it can benefit their business.
This trend will only grow in the future, with Gartner predicting that SaaS market revenues will grow to $113.1 billion by 2021.
Implementing world-class technologies to their IT strategies has long been a challenge for most small to medium-sized organization. Budgetary constraints leave companies only paying for what they can afford, even if its below-par and leaves them struggling to compete with others in their industry.
Add to that the complex nature of technology. Your company has to account for hardware issues, connectivity problems and faulty equipment. These all add to your overall investment, and it might even be the case that you don’t have the in-house resources and expertise needed to keep this technology running efficiently.
Physical hardware is expensive, time-consuming and complex to keep running efficiently. This can have a huge impact on the operations of your business, making it harder to compete and hitting your bottom line.
What actually is software as a service?
SaaS is a software distribution model in which a service provider hosts applications for customers and makes them available to your business via the internet. It’s an umbrella term for a wide variety of technology that’s available on a subscription basis, such as cloud computing, digital sales, point of sale systems, accounting software and much more.
This marks a departure from the on-premise software model of the past in which your company would be responsible for maintaining them. The SaaS model sees software vendors host and maintain them on behalf of their clients.
This means you can outsource most of your IT responsibility, allowing your SaaS vendor to take care of maintenance and support. The model means you’ll own a licence to use the software as opposed to owning the software itself.
What’s the difference between SaaS and cloud computing?
When talking about SaaS and cloud computing, most people tend to use the two terms interchangeably. They may sound like they are the same thing since they are a product or service that’s available “via the cloud” - but they are different.
To put it simply, SaaS are applications that are ready for the end-user, while cloud computing is an entire computing infrastructure that offers applications and services that you can rent from specific providers.
What are the benefits of SaaS?
Software as a service has been in existence for decades, but in the last couple of years, it has really started to reach its full potential. SaaS tools are now everywhere, and can seriously benefit how small to medium-sized businesses operate.
Here are just a few of the key ways your business can benefit from implementing software as a service into your IT strategy:
Lower costs: SaaS is a subscription-based model in which your company pays a monthly fee for a licence to use software applications via the internet. This not only saves your company money on expensive initial fees, but you also save money on software maintenance.
Reduced time to benefit: SaaS applications are already installed and configured in the cloud. This means you won’t experience common issues with software deployment and your employees will be able to start working with new tools and applications as soon as you’ve paid the first fee.
Scalability and flexibility: Since SaaS applications reside in the cloud, they provide easy scalability for your company. Whether you experience seasonal demand, you have an upcoming spike in new workers or you simply want to give your employees the chance to work from home, SaaS applications can be accessed from anywhere with internet and new users can be added at the click of a button.
Are you looking for more information on how SaaS could benefit your organization? Contact OT Group today. Our team of experts would be more than willing to answer any questions you have.
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