You may have heard of a new term within the IT industry ‘SaaS’ – Software as a Service.
Rather than purchasing new software which requires installation and maintenance on your own computer network, SaaS allows you access to whatever software you may need remotely, for a small fee.
For many businesses this reduces the significant time and cost associated with managing a complex hardware and software network.
The responsibility for managing upgrades or patches rests with your SaaS provider. No installation is required to make an application available to another staff member. And no matter where you are, if you can access the Internet, you have access to the software you need.
Salesforce.com is an example. This company provides a Web-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution for sales, service, marketing and call centre operations. You subscribe and gain access to the service over the Internet from anywhere in the world.
Why SaaS for Business?
There appears to be a number of benefits to a SaaS solution:
1. No initial outlay
When purchasing software for installation on your network, you are faced with a significant up-front investment – not only for the application, but also for its installation on all computers within your organisation (plus hardware). A SaaS solution requires no upfront investment.
2. Your application works immediately
There’s almost no lag between choosing your software solution and having it up and running. With no requirement to install either hardware or software most SaaS applications are active within 24 hours.
3. Fixed costs
SaaS services are offered on a subscription basis. You pay to have access to an application. All associated costs are included within the subscription cost – support, security and upgrades etc.
4. No network interruptions for installation/upgrades
All new software, upgrades and patches are installed by the SaaS provider.
5. Less risk
Once you purchase software or hardware you own it. With SaaS you pay only for the period in which you use the software. This allows some flexibility for changing needs in the future.
Why SaaS for security, such as email cleansing, Internet management?
A SaaS solution may be the best choice when considering the security of your network and how email and web-based tools have become essential to business today. But at the same time, the threats that email and web browsing expose a business to have become more extreme.
Today you can use security measures that stop threats before they reach your network. Proactivity is more effective than being reactive; a SaaS security solution is a successful way of creating a secure buffer around your network.
Here’s why:
1. Threats change at an astronomical rate.
2. Your bandwidth is being sucked up by email you don’t want
If over 90% of email is spam it has no business being in your network. You don’t want the mail, you certainly don’t want it clogging up your bandwidth and costing you money.
3. Your people are increasingly mobile
What happens when your people work remotely? They still access your network. A SaaS solution is active whenever they access the Internet, from wherever they may be.
4. Productivity and efficiency are key contributors to business success
SaaS can provide a valuable insight into how email and the Internet impact your business. As well as specific information regarding what’s being received, sent and accessed, appropriate reporting can give a snapshot of what trends exist.
Summary
If you’re looking for ways to ensure your business has the most cost-effective means of accessing software and ideas to make your technology more efficient, productive and secure then a SaaS security solution is well worth investigating.