SaaS is an abbreviation of ‘Software as a Service’ which is a software licensing and delivery model. SaaS companies make money by licensing out their software and applications to companies on a subscription basis. SaaS companies also provide hosting services for companies, meaning you as a business owner, will not have to invest in servers and hiring IT technicians to manage your software. Before SaaS was coined, it was known as ‘software plus services’ and was also referred to by some people as ‘on-demand software’.
SaaS applications are built on cloud computing systems and can be accessed by users on the world wide web. SaaS runs on a network known as a thin client wherein your application is run on a server that is owned and maintained by the SaaS company. This type of system allows you to access the application remotely with an electronic device and an internet connection, and since the SaaS providers host the servers, you won’t have to worry about storing data on your laptop and securing it as well.
SaaS is used by almost all the businesses and has become the delivery model for business applications, this includes office, messaging, payroll processing, management, CAD, development, and DBMS software. Other SaaS delivery models include virtualization, gamification, collaboration, customer relationship management, accounting, invoicing, management information systems, enterprise resource planning, human resource planning, talent acquisition, learning management systems, content management, geographic information systems, and service desk management.
SaaS applications are being used by pretty much every top enterprise software companies, and there are new branches of SaaS applications being conceptualized every year.
As SaaS software is used through a website on the internet, Saas doesn’t need users to install the application as on-premises software, which means the user does not have to download or install software on their personal electronic devices. This also cancels out the need for a user to update their software as it is done on the website server by the SaaS provider.
Apart from software maintenance, SaaS companies manage the application, runtime, data, middleware, virtualization, operating system, storage, servers, networking and many more. This allows businesses to outsource these aspects instead of trying to create and manage them on their own.
Branches of SaaS Software
There is a wide range in the types of SaaS applications that are available in the market.
Some recognizable software as a service examples are Slack, Salesforce, Concur, Microsoft Office 365, and Dropbox.
Here are some different branches of SaaS software that can benefit your business:
- Project Management – This type of software helps users plan projects, set budgets, allocate resources, manage production schedules and deadlines in order to complete projects within the given time.
- Accounting – SaaS can help organize and secure your financial data. Users can track their business accounts with ease and ensure all their books are in order.
- Email Marketing – This type of SaaS software can help automate your emails, optimizing your text marketing strategies.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – This software helps users manage customer data, track customer interactions, as well as collate business information and automate sales.
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) – ERP software integrates various business processes into one comprehensive system. This improves efficiency and accessibility as well as optimize information sharing and gathering.
Other branches of SaaS software includes billing and invoicing, web-hosting, collaboration, and human resource management. With all these different types of SaaS applications available in the market, you can browse through and pick which type of software application your business can benefit from utilizing.
Collaboration Software
Collaboration software is a type of SaaS application that allows the members of a team to communicate with each other and conduct business in an efficient manner ensuring the smooth progression and completion of their projects.
There are many collaboration software like Xtensio that will help you and share live documents at an affordable price. Using it, you can effortlessly create stunning presentations, collaborate with teams, and ensure your brand’s consistency without switching between tools.
Collaboration software typically consists of tools and functions that provide a platform for communication, document sharing, conferencing, as well as real-time technical assistance by the SaaS’s companies experts if in case there is a glitch or the application needs a tune-up.
Through the use of a Collaboration software, businesses and employees can communicate with each other efficiently and ensure that everyone is on the same page, resulting in money and time saved.
If you or your company is looking to subscribe to good collaboration software for an affordable price, give GoToWebinar Pricing a try. Be sure to check out the free trial first, and if this application suits your requirements, you can go for a premium package.
Benefits of Collaboration Software
When purchasing or subscribing to collaboration software there is always the question of data security and benefit for value. There are a lot of free collaboration software out there that could be used to carry about business but you will end up losing out on the convenience and traceability aspects of things, along with the many other features that come with good software.
Here are some of the features you can expect from a good collaboration software:
- Single platform for communication
- User-Friendly
- Less Data Disorder
- Project Management
- Storage
Remember, before going ahead and subscribing to the best collaboration application, try out free collaborative applications first to get a general understanding of the layouts and how to go about using tools provided. However, if your business runs on a larger scale with many employees, you should consider subscribing to a premium package.