SAAS: BASICS AND TYPES OF SAAS [SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE INDUSTRY]
The SaaS industry has been growing phenomenally as the demand for SaaS applications, SaaS products, and the SaaS platform in general is gaining acceptance in small, medium and large enterprises across the globe. To understand this phenomenon better we first need to acquire information on the basics and types of SaaS. Let’s check out the SaaS market size before we begin with SaaS basics.
The image here gives us a clear reference to the exponential growth of the SaaS industry in the last five years and above.
SaaS Basics
· One of the foremost derivates of cloud computing, SaaS is a software delivery model which is based on subscription and licensing. For example, a software firm creates a chat application called ‘InComm’, a platform for facilitating communication between employees of an organization. InComm can then be licensed to small, medium or large enterprises as a SaaS platform for a subscription fee
· SaaS applications range from messaging softwares, financial ledgers, customer relationship management applications, to gamification, virtualization, or learning management systems.
· SaaS is integrated with, and works alongside other cloud computing platforms such as Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), Platform as a service (PaaS), and Information technology management as a service (ITMaaS) among others
· The SaaS industry is set to grow to approximately $133 billion by 2020
· As with web 2.0 functionality, SaaS applications are rich in features which enable users to interact with the platform for collaboration and sharing information
Types of SaaS Applications
· Web Hosting and E-Commerce — From content management systems (CMS) and message boards to web hosting and shopping carts, SaaS applications enable business on the web
· Communication Platforms — Instant messaging and file sharing software to enhance collaboration for teams based out of multiple locations
· Customer Relationship Management (CRM) — For managing customer information, tracking sales, and automating marketing functions
· Accounting — SaaS accounting applications have do it yourself functionality to help you keep track of your firm’s finances, big or small
· Payment Gateways — These applications based on the SaaS model include accepting credit cards, processing bank transfers, run offers and rewards programs, and publish and track coupons among others
· Human Resources — SaaS products which enable organizations track employee hours, automate payroll processes, schedule interviews and streamline the hiring process are quite popular worldwide
· Project Management — SaaS products offer end to end project management solutions for processes such as composing plans to listing requirements and tracking progress with respect to deadlines and deliverables
Of course, there are plenty of other SaaS products and applications which cater to niche segments and are deployed for use for only targeted segments of the populace. Depending on your business goals and quantifiable fields of enterprise processes, you can opt for a specifc application to enhance speed and delivery.
