What Is SaaS?
SaaS, short for Software as a Service, is a Web-based service that provides software solution or data access to any device connected to the Internet.
SaaS provider is responsible for building up the software, maintaining the server, database and code for users who paid to use the service with its functions and updates on a timely period basic such as monthly, quarterly or yearly.
SaaS is springing up like mushrooms after the rain because of crazy demand rising constantly from many small and medium businesses. Today adopting SaaS applications is a critical and essential task according to a recent survey of Gartner in order to cut expenses and improve performance.
Let’s discover which benefits of SaaS that make it become stardom in cloud computing.
1. Cost efficiency
SaaS deployment saves you a considerable budget pack spending on IT infrastructure and employment as clouding applications like SaaS require lower system and maintenance costs than traditional IT software.
This is absolutely an advantage for company owner since you can spare some good money to invest in other areas while still have SaaS applications run smoothly.
Thus, SaaS is more affordable for small or start-up businesses because their budgets are usually tight and cannot afford to buy software from big enterprises in the first place.
2. Consistent Pricing Plan
SaaS model always offers various pricing plans that buyers are free to choose which one suits them most. It is open for you to upgrade your plan with premium features of the application when your business expands and requires more sophisticated tools later.
So you only pay for what you use, no more or less and possibly switch to a more suitable and workable plan when you want. Companies using SaaS applications find this way easier to manage their budget and effective to reduce their investment risk.
3. Easy to use
As a “software on demand”, SaaS prioritizes its primary function which is user-friendly interfaces on the web and varied mobile devices. Therefore, even an IT newbie can download and learn how to use SaaS application quickly.
Once you agree to pay for a good SaaS application, you start a long-run but easy relation with that SaaS vendor because he will try his best to please you so you can keep using his SaaS product for your business in the future. That’s why you can enjoy a dedicated support on the back end as long as you pay your fee.
4. Flexibility
One of the best benefits of SaaS is that you can access to everything anytime and anywhere if your devices have stable Internet connection because all of your data is held on the cloud. So how being flexible can impact your business greatly?
One good example is Subiz – live chat software that is necessary to improve your customer service and boost your sales. You are in a party with friends and suddenly a prospect wants to get more details of your product. While you are checking in at the airport and one of your old customers just wants to say hello but actually intends to ask for a discount if he buys in bulk. God knows what happens to your revenue if you cannot answer them instantly and properly.
This is how SaaS in general and Subiz particularly helps you to win the game as you can manage your business efficiently no matter where and when.
5. Automatically Updated
Good news is you do not pay extra for any update of the SaaS application that you are using. All of updates are included in the fee you have paid. When SaaS providers improve their products, upgrade their system or fix their bug, clients will not need to download any updated patch or install a new version because the application will seamlessly be updated itself.
You might think this is not a big deal but if imagine you have to repeat the same work on a dozen of computers and devices at least then you will see how awesome this automatic function is. It will save your time and cost on IT maintenance and make your IT staff really happy.
6. More Productive
SaaS is completely changing the landscape of workforce productivity. It is not only because there are loads of SaaS applications being able to track and fix where productivity is inadequate of company requirements but also most of them work on a sharing platform and encourage engagements between employees.
By working in the shared network, team members can interact and support each other better even if they are working in different sections therefore increase collaboration. By reviewing and analyzing up-to-date data and history of company productivity, managers can improve product quality, employee relations as well as deepen competency.
7. Extra Security
Using cloud-base program like SaaS adds up more safety to your data as many SaaS vendors design multiple layers of security for their products and data storage. Hence, you do not need to worry of losing important or private information if your laptop or mobile device is broken or stolen.
Now you can minimize risk of cybercrime and feel more confident when using cloud computing including SaaS since it can be more secure than traditional IT platform according to Microsoft.
Last Thought
It is no doubt that SaaS is inevitable and essential for online businesses especially small and medium ones because of its great benefits over traditional IT software. Since there are more and more SaaS start-ups are joining the race to compete with giant software enterprises, you will have more affordable and appealing products to pick in this fast-growing market.
Depending on your agility, budget and IT infrastructure, you can choose to migrate completely to SaaS or only partly and keep a mix of SaaS and traditional deployments for the best of your business.
Hopefully this post has sufficient information to answer some of your queries about SaaS and how your business can benefit from it.
Have you used any SaaS application for your business? What advantages of SaaS have you experienced? Please share with us your opinion in the comment.
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