What is SaaS? FAQs

Software as a service (SaaS)--also known as Cloud-based software-- is a software delivery method that allows you to access the software using a web browser and an internet connection independent of an operating system(OS) and a device. From massive companies to small businesses, nearly all are using cloud-based software (SaaS) in 2020.

In this kind of web-based model, the software application is accessible to the user across the internet and is hosted by the vendor from their servers. And by doing so will eliminate the expenses of hardware acquisition, provisioning, and maintenance as well as software licensing, installation, and support.

Yet, many business premieres have questions about SaaS and are eager to know how it can be more beneficial for their companies. Most frequently asked questions asked by them are:

Is SAAS new?

In a 1961 speech to MIT students, John McCarthy, a famous computer scientist and Turing award winner for his services in the field of Artificial Intelligence(AI) said: “Computation may someday be organized as a public utility." In other words, the concept of cloud computing began as a shared resource of computer power.

SaaS versus on-premise software: What's the difference?

SaaS is different from on-premise software in two basic ways:

1) SaaS deployment does not need any additional hardware resources. This will help users to save expenses, hardware maintenance, troubleshooting, and other IT responsibilities. 

2) SaaS applications are usually purchased by a subscription model while on-premise software is typically purchased with a permanent license.

Is SaaS Softwares customizable?

When SaaS emerged the customization features were very limited and users had to adapt their business processes according to available software solutions. However, it has become significantly easier to customize SaaS software according to business processes. As SaaS is growing vendors are investing more money and time into providing more flexibility in customization for companies.

Today, users are capable of customizing SaaS software on their own. They can configure the user interface (UI) to change the look of the software, add or remove data fields according to their requirements, and customize how data appears on the screen.

Who owns SaaS data?

In this web-based model, data is stored on the vendors' server. But, in most cases, you still own your data. Service level agreements (SLAs) affirm the possession of your company's data on the vendor's server and your right to retrieve data anytime.

In addition to data ownership, service level agreements (SLAs) furnish these aspects:

? Responsibility of the software vendor for support, updates, and/or security. 

? Your responsibility as a client to promptly notify the vendor of any issues will guarantee for services such as level of uptime and how a customer can respond to poor service

Is the company's data safe in the cloud?

Software vendors are aware of the fact that the security of data is the priority of customers. So many SaaS software providers utilize secure cloud services to ensure data security.

For most companies, data is less secure in their servers as they have dedicated less of their budget to IT and security and through the unintentional data leakage via some employees. In truth, data security is independent of whether or not the server is next to you or found in an alternate location. SaaS vendors invest many more of their resources into security, backups, and maintenance than do any small to midsize enterprises.