12-27-21 | Blog Post
Software as a Service consists of a centrally hosted piece of software (in the Cloud) where in many cases, businesses buy licensed subscriptions to the software and access it via the internet. Think marketing automation tools, customer relationship management (CRM), management information systems (MIS), Office 365 (did you know you’re responsible for backing up O365 data?), etc.
At its most basic form, Cloud Computing involves using remote servers hosted over the internet to process and compute data instead of using local servers or computers to accomplish those same tasks. Software as a Service falls under the umbrella of Cloud Computing and is the epitome of this model. The major benefits are cost savings, scalability, flexibility, and ease of use.
With SaaS, you’ve got access to the most essential platforms your business runs on, including management and communication tools. This access comes at unprecedented speeds at any location with internet connectivity. For businesses with distant office branches or remote employees, all can access these critical software quickly and easily. That’s why SaaS is sometimes referred to as “software on demand”. This improves work efficiency and employees will love the speed and reliability of these applications
Software as a service can save your business money. Long gone are the days of having to deal with complex infrastructure that connects distant branches to your centrally owned, on-premise data center. No longer is there a need to physically deploy software on your servers or computer. You don’t even have to update software anymore- the software provider is responsible for updates, not your IT team. All of these have traditionally required extra IT personnel and added costs. Most SaaS businesses run on a “pay-as-you-go” model, allowing businesses to more easily provision extra user licenses and budget monthly expenses.
The SaaS model is a multi tenant model, meaning multiple companies share the same infrastructure and code base. Yet almost every SaaS provider encrypts data and requires tough authentication. Sometimes even a pin or information in addition to passwords is used to authenticate. Secure internet connections can also help provide more secure access to the software. Many SaaS platforms are also compliant with federal data regulations.
While Otava is not a SaaS provider, we do have the infrastructure needed to backup important data from your Cloud-based software, like Office 365. The safest solution is to backup data and even metadata from these SaaS providers into the Cloud. In the Cloud, you’ll have access to your data regardless of what happens to your SaaS provider.
