The cloud has allowed businesses access to an astounding amount of resources. One of these resources that has proven exceptionally beneficial to businesses is Software-as-a-Service, or SaaS. Here, we’ll examine SaaS and go over how it can benefit your operations.
What is Software-as-a-Service
To examine SaaS, let’s look at it in a context that consumers and business owners alike are likely familiar with: Netflix, and their streaming service.
The streaming capabilities of Netflix are pretty analogous with how a SaaS implementation works in a business. Netflix subscribers pay a monthly fee for access to their ever-changing library, allowing them to binge-watch American Horror Story or an exclusive series like The Crown at their leisure, on whatever compatible device they wish. In the same vein, SaaS gives a business access on a per-user basis to the latest version of a particular program on various devices, also billed per month.
Let’s dig a little deeper into a few of these similarities.
The Benefits of SaaS
Accessibility
One of the biggest selling points of Netflix, or any other streaming service, is how easy it is to access. All you really need is an account and a sufficient Internet connection. This same quality makes SaaS an appealing choice for a business. If an employee can so simply access their tools, they are more likely to have the potential for productivity.
Furthermore, SaaS solutions are very quick to access, just like Netflix. After a little configuration, both are ready to use with no extra cost for adding them to additional devices.
Cost Efficiency
Granted, SaaS doesn’t always look to be the most practical choice when compared to just procuring your software solutions and maintaining them yourself. In many ways, it appears more expensive. Nevertheless, there are also the associated costs of doing so that you need to factor in. The hardware you’ll need to acquire and maintain to do so will likely wipe out any savings you’d get from making a single purchase. You also don’t have to pay to maintain the hardware, the provider does that.
Available Scalability
Both Netflix and SaaS solutions take into account that more than one person will want access to the service. So, while Netflix allows multiple users to have individual accounts, SaaS providers have made it simple for businesses to add and remove employees at will, only requiring them to adjust their subscription to the particular software title.
Voyage Technology can help Western Kentucky businesses procure and manage their SaaS solutions, as well as many other IT needs. To learn more about the services that the cloud offers, or any other aspect of your business technology, give us a call at 800.618.9844.
