What is Software-As-Service (SaS) ?

In comparison to apps, you pay for and download on the front end, SaaS applies to applications distributed over the internet on a subscription basis. SaaS applications run on remote servers of a provider, which is why SaaS is often referred to as “web-based software” or “on-demand software.” You access SaaS applications via your browser.

To provide some context: among three types of cloud computing, SaaS is the most commonly used. A recent survey of cloud adoption in the healthcare industry showed that 83 percent of healthcare IT organizations use cloud services, and nearly 70 percent of those organizations use SaaS. (Cloud computing also includes Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS).

• Lower Software Costs: In addition to the upfront expense, SaaS typically costs less than licensed applications, which also come with the upgrade and support fees. 

• No software maintenance: The provider takes full responsibility for those activities, including updates and patches, and you don’t need to install, set up, or maintain applications.

• Quick Scalability: When your company grows, it is easy to extend your SaaS subscriptions, and when employees depart, it is equally easy to cancel subscriptions. 

• Disaster protection: If your business is hit by natural or man-made disasters, your workers can still access their SaaS applications and data, which remain protected in the data center of the provider.