Software-as-a-Service is becoming a prevalent model for software delivery in the cloud era and with new paradigms come new challenges. This breakout is offering everything you need to know to build and grow a SaaS software offering on AWS.

1. Building and Growing SaaS on AWS for Partners
Nigel Watson
Technology Partner Manager, Amazon Web Services
Australia & New Zealand

2. Picture: Dinner Menu/corporatemonkey/Commons
AWS ISV landscape

3. Picture: Dinner Menu/corporatemonkey/Commons
AWS ISV landscape
AWS

4. Picture: Dinner Menu/corporatemonkey/Commons
AWS ISV landscape
AWS

5. Picture: Dinner Menu/corporatemonkey/Commons
AWS ISV landscape
Operating Systems
Networking
Database
Security
Storage
DevOps
AppDev
Mobile
IoT
AWS

6. Picture: Dinner Menu/corporatemonkey/Commons
AWS ISV landscape
Operating Systems
Networking
Database
Security
Storage
DevOps
AppDev
Mobile
IoT
Analytics
BI Big Data ERP
CRM BPM
Content
Management
GIS SCM HRM
Commerce
Digital
Marketing
Design
Engineering
AWS

7. Picture: Dinner Menu/corporatemonkey/Commons
AWS ISV landscape
Operating Systems
Networking
Database
Security
Storage
DevOps
AppDev
Mobile
IoT
FSI
Media
HealthCare
LifeSciences
Analytics
BI Big Data ERP
CRM BPM
Content
Management
GIS SCM HRM
Commerce
Digital
Marketing
Design
Engineering
AWS

8. Picture: Dinner Menu/corporatemonkey/Commons
AWS ISV landscape
Operating Systems
Networking
Database
Security
Storage
DevOps
AppDev
Mobile
IoT
FSI
Media
HealthCare
LifeSciences
Analytics
BI Big Data ERP
CRM BPM
Content
Management
GIS SCM HRM
Commerce
Digital
Marketing
Design
Engineering
AWS

9. Picture: Dinner Menu/corporatemonkey/Commons
AWS ISV landscape
Operating Systems
Networking
Database
Security
Storage
DevOps
AppDev
Mobile
IoT
FSI
Media
HealthCare
LifeSciences
Analytics
BI Big Data ERP
CRM BPM
Content
Management
GIS SCM HRM
Commerce
Digital
Marketing
Design
Engineering
AWS

10. Picture: Dinner Menu/corporatemonkey/Commons
Software licensing models on AWS

11. Picture: Dinner Menu/corporatemonkey/Commons
Free trial
Trial licenses to speed
up the sales cycle and
prove value of ISV
solution.
AWS Test Drive &
Technology Partner
GTM Activities.
Software licensing models on AWS

12. Picture: Dinner Menu/corporatemonkey/Commons
Utility
No long-term
commitments.
License is included in
the metered AWS
offering (i.e. hourly on
Amazon EC2).
AWS Marketplace
Free trial
Trial licenses to speed
up the sales cycle and
prove value of ISV
solution.
AWS Test Drive &
Technology Partner
GTM Activities.
Software licensing models on AWS

13. Picture: Dinner Menu/corporatemonkey/Commons
Utility
No long-term
commitments.
License is included in
the metered AWS
offering (i.e. hourly on
Amazon EC2).
AWS Marketplace
License mobility
a.k.a. Bring Your Own
Licenses (BYOL).
Customer acquires
license from
traditional channels
for software running
on AWS.
Free trial
Trial licenses to speed
up the sales cycle and
prove value of ISV
solution.
AWS Test Drive &
Technology Partner
GTM Activities.
Software licensing models on AWS

14. Picture: Dinner Menu/corporatemonkey/Commons
Utility
No long-term
commitments.
License is included in
the metered AWS
offering (i.e. hourly on
Amazon EC2).
AWS Marketplace
License mobility
a.k.a. Bring Your Own
Licenses (BYOL).
Customer acquires
license from
traditional channels
for software running
on AWS.
SaaS
License is managed
at the application tier
by the ISV.
AWS provides the
global infrastructure
for a best-of-breed
solution.
Free trial
Trial licenses to speed
up the sales cycle and
prove value of ISV
solution.
AWS Test Drive &
Technology Partner
GTM Activities.
Software licensing models on AWS

15. The power of SaaS
By 2017, about 26.2% of all new
business software purchases
will be of service-enabled
software, and SaaS delivery
will constitute about 18% of
all software spending and
nearly 20% of applications
spending.”
IDC "Worldwide SaaS and Cloud Software 2013–2017 Forecast and
2012 Vendor Shares" Doc #245084 Dec 2013
Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons

16. The power of SaaS
By 2017, about 26.2% of all new
business software purchases
will be of service-enabled
software, and SaaS delivery
will constitute about 18% of
all software spending and
nearly 20% of applications
spending.”
IDC "Worldwide SaaS and Cloud Software 2013–2017 Forecast and
2012 Vendor Shares" Doc #245084 Dec 2013
The world is moving to SaaS
Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons

17. The power of SaaS
By 2017, about 26.2% of all new
business software purchases
will be of service-enabled
software, and SaaS delivery
will constitute about 18% of
all software spending and
nearly 20% of applications
spending.”
IDC "Worldwide SaaS and Cloud Software 2013–2017 Forecast and
2012 Vendor Shares" Doc #245084 Dec 2013
The world is moving to SaaS
Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons

18. The power of SaaS
By 2017, about 26.2% of all new
business software purchases
will be of service-enabled
software, and SaaS delivery
will constitute about 18% of
all software spending and
nearly 20% of applications
spending.”
IDC "Worldwide SaaS and Cloud Software 2013–2017 Forecast and
2012 Vendor Shares" Doc #245084 Dec 2013
The world is moving to SaaS
Why SaaS for ISVs?
Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons

19. The power of SaaS
By 2017, about 26.2% of all new
business software purchases
will be of service-enabled
software, and SaaS delivery
will constitute about 18% of
all software spending and
nearly 20% of applications
spending.”
IDC "Worldwide SaaS and Cloud Software 2013–2017 Forecast and
2012 Vendor Shares" Doc #245084 Dec 2013
The world is moving to SaaS
Why SaaS for ISVs?
• Sell more
Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons

20. The power of SaaS
By 2017, about 26.2% of all new
business software purchases
will be of service-enabled
software, and SaaS delivery
will constitute about 18% of
all software spending and
nearly 20% of applications
spending.”
IDC "Worldwide SaaS and Cloud Software 2013–2017 Forecast and
2012 Vendor Shares" Doc #245084 Dec 2013
The world is moving to SaaS
Why SaaS for ISVs?
• Sell more
• Sell faster
Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons

21. The power of SaaS
By 2017, about 26.2% of all new
business software purchases
will be of service-enabled
software, and SaaS delivery
will constitute about 18% of
all software spending and
nearly 20% of applications
spending.”
IDC "Worldwide SaaS and Cloud Software 2013–2017 Forecast and
2012 Vendor Shares" Doc #245084 Dec 2013
The world is moving to SaaS
Why SaaS for ISVs?
• Sell more
• Sell faster
• Improve customer
experience
Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons

22. The power of SaaS
By 2017, about 26.2% of all new
business software purchases
will be of service-enabled
software, and SaaS delivery
will constitute about 18% of
all software spending and
nearly 20% of applications
spending.”
IDC "Worldwide SaaS and Cloud Software 2013–2017 Forecast and
2012 Vendor Shares" Doc #245084 Dec 2013
The world is moving to SaaS
Why SaaS for ISVs?
• Sell more
• Sell faster
• Improve customer
experience
• Reduce support and
engineering
Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons

23. The power of SaaS
By 2017, about 26.2% of all new
business software purchases
will be of service-enabled
software, and SaaS delivery
will constitute about 18% of
all software spending and
nearly 20% of applications
spending.”
IDC "Worldwide SaaS and Cloud Software 2013–2017 Forecast and
2012 Vendor Shares" Doc #245084 Dec 2013
The world is moving to SaaS
Why SaaS for ISVs?
• Sell more
• Sell faster
• Improve customer
experience
• Reduce support and
engineering
Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons

24. The power of SaaS
By 2017, about 26.2% of all new
business software purchases
will be of service-enabled
software, and SaaS delivery
will constitute about 18% of
all software spending and
nearly 20% of applications
spending.”
IDC "Worldwide SaaS and Cloud Software 2013–2017 Forecast and
2012 Vendor Shares" Doc #245084 Dec 2013
The world is moving to SaaS
Why SaaS for ISVs?
• Sell more
• Sell faster
• Improve customer
experience
• Reduce support and
engineering
Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons

25. Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons
Why SaaS on AWS?

26. Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons
Why SaaS on AWS?
SaaS characteristics:

27. Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons
Why SaaS on AWS?
SaaS characteristics:
✓ Priced based on Value

28. Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons
Why SaaS on AWS?
SaaS characteristics:
✓ Priced based on Value
✓ Self-Service

29. Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons
Why SaaS on AWS?
SaaS characteristics:
✓ Priced based on Value
✓ Self-Service
✓ Multi-tenant, Shared
Infrastructure

30. Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons
Why SaaS on AWS?
SaaS characteristics:
✓ Priced based on Value
✓ Self-Service
✓ Multi-tenant, Shared
Infrastructure
✓ Elastic Usage

31. Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons
Why SaaS on AWS?
SaaS characteristics:
✓ Priced based on Value
✓ Self-Service
✓ Multi-tenant, Shared
Infrastructure
✓ Elastic Usage
✓ Global Market

32. Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons
Why SaaS on AWS?
SaaS characteristics:
✓ Priced based on Value
✓ Self-Service
✓ Multi-tenant, Shared
Infrastructure
✓ Elastic Usage
✓ Global Market
AWS characteristics:

33. Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons
Why SaaS on AWS?
SaaS characteristics:
✓ Priced based on Value
✓ Self-Service
✓ Multi-tenant, Shared
Infrastructure
✓ Elastic Usage
✓ Global Market
AWS characteristics:
✓ Pay For Use

34. Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons
Why SaaS on AWS?
SaaS characteristics:
✓ Priced based on Value
✓ Self-Service
✓ Multi-tenant, Shared
Infrastructure
✓ Elastic Usage
✓ Global Market
AWS characteristics:
✓ Pay For Use
✓ Resources On-Demand

35. Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons
Why SaaS on AWS?
SaaS characteristics:
✓ Priced based on Value
✓ Self-Service
✓ Multi-tenant, Shared
Infrastructure
✓ Elastic Usage
✓ Global Market
AWS characteristics:
✓ Pay For Use
✓ Resources On-Demand
✓ Highly Scalable and
Durable Services

36. Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons
Why SaaS on AWS?
SaaS characteristics:
✓ Priced based on Value
✓ Self-Service
✓ Multi-tenant, Shared
Infrastructure
✓ Elastic Usage
✓ Global Market
AWS characteristics:
✓ Pay For Use
✓ Resources On-Demand
✓ Highly Scalable and
Durable Services
✓ Auto-Scaled and
Scriptable Resources

37. Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons
Why SaaS on AWS?
SaaS characteristics:
✓ Priced based on Value
✓ Self-Service
✓ Multi-tenant, Shared
Infrastructure
✓ Elastic Usage
✓ Global Market
AWS characteristics:
✓ Pay For Use
✓ Resources On-Demand
✓ Highly Scalable and
Durable Services
✓ Auto-Scaled and
Scriptable Resources
✓ Global Reach

38. Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons
Enterprise services
CRM, enterprise asset
management, enterprise resource
planning, financial, human capital,
performance, product lifecycle,
supplier relationship, and supply
chain management
Many paths to SaaS
Evolve Extend
Business Process and
management services
Business process management
and software for customer-
centricity, helps organizations
enhance customer loyalty,
generate new business, and
improve productivity
Innovate Innate
Content management
services
Drupal on AWS and hosting
services
Data analytic services
Data analytics platform on AWS

39. AWS SaaS partner program
Benefits Stage APN tier
SaaS community webinar series
Specialized technical content
Technical and business office hours
Learn
Build
Access to product development funding
SaaS-specific reference architectures
AWS training and certification
Grow
Market development funding
Access to sales alignment initiatives
Investment in lead generation campaigns
Advanced
Registered
Standard
Advanced

40. AWS SaaS partner program
Benefits Stage APN tier
SaaS community webinar series
Specialized technical content
Technical and business office hours
Learn
Build
Access to product development funding
SaaS-specific reference architectures
AWS training and certification
Grow
Market development funding
Access to sales alignment initiatives
Investment in lead generation campaigns
Advanced
Registered
Standard
Advanced

41. AWS SaaS partner program
Benefits Stage APN tier
SaaS community webinar series
Specialized technical content
Technical and business office hours
Learn
Build
Access to product development funding
SaaS-specific reference architectures
AWS training and certification
Grow
Market development funding
Access to sales alignment initiatives
Investment in lead generation campaigns
Advanced
Registered
Standard
Advanced

42. AWS SaaS partner program
Benefits Stage APN tier
SaaS community webinar series
Specialized technical content
Technical and business office hours
Learn
Build
Access to product development funding
SaaS-specific reference architectures
AWS training and certification
Grow
Market development funding
Access to sales alignment initiatives
Investment in lead generation campaigns
Advanced
Registered
Standard
Advanced

43. SaaS Program Benefits Stage APN Tier
Registered Standard Advanced
APN Webcast for SaaS Partners Series
LearnSpecialized Technical Content
Technical and Business Office Hours
AWS Training & Certification
Build
SaaS Specific Reference Architectures
Access to Innovation Sandbox (Product
Development Funding) *
AWS Test Drive for SaaS
Grow
Lead Generation Campaigns *
APN SaaS Logo Usage
Access to Sales Alignment Initiatives *
Case Studies *
SaaS Customer Free Trials (Market
Development Funding)*
* Eligibility rules apply.
Learn
Build
Grow

45. Picture: Desktop-Build/Karin Dalziel/Creative Commons
Building SaaS
Architectures on AWS

46. Picture: Desktop-Build/Karin Dalziel/Creative CommonsPicture: Desktop-Build/Karin Dalziel/Creative Commons
Software delivery is evolving
SaaS on AWSOn-Prem Application
Hosting
AWS

47. Picture: Desktop-Build/Karin Dalziel/Creative CommonsPicture: Desktop-Build/Karin Dalziel/Creative Commons
Software delivery is evolving
SaaS on AWSOn-Prem Application
Hosting
AWS

48. Picture: Desktop-Build/Karin Dalziel/Creative Commons
Data Access Layer
Delivery
Authentication &
Authorization
MeteringMonitoring
Ordering
Provisioning
Billing
Analytics
Resource Management SaaS Application(s)
Business Services Core Platform Services
Interaction
Application
AdditionalApplications
Application Lifecycle
Management

49. Picture: Desktop-Build/Karin Dalziel/Creative Commons
SaaS Best Practice
• Separate the platform from the program
– SaaS applications will evolve and change over time, but core
services are reusable
– Decoupled services can support a fleet of SaaS applications
– Isolated services can be tuned and scale independently
– Reusable core services combined with application frameworks
can reduce application development time in the long run

50. Picture: Desktop-Build/Karin Dalziel/Creative Commons
SaaS on AWS: architectural approaches
1. Isolated customer stacks
– Independent AWS resources per customer
2. Pure SaaS shared architecture
– On-demand resource utilization with shared infrastructure, top to bottom
3. Containerization on shared platform
– Provide “slices” of AWS with Amazon EC2 Container Service and Docker

51. Picture: Desktop-Build/Karin Dalziel/Creative Commons
SaaS on AWS: Isolated customer stacks
Monitoring Analytics
Ordering
Billing
Provisioning
Metering
Auto Scaling
CostCenter
=Customer1
Tag
CostCenter
=Customer1
Auto Scaling
CostCenter
=Customer1
Tag
Tag
Customer 1 …. SaaS platform

52. Picture: Desktop-Build/Karin Dalziel/Creative Commons
SaaS on AWS: Isolated customer stacks
Monitoring Analytics
Ordering
Billing
Provisioning
Metering
Customer n
Whole
stack
Auto Scaling
CostCenter
=CustomerN
Tag
CostCenter
=CustomerN
Auto Scaling
CostCenter
=CustomerN
Tag
Tag
Auto Scaling
CostCenter
=Customer1
Tag
CostCenter
=Customer1
Auto Scaling
CostCenter
=Customer1
Tag
Tag
Customer 1 …. SaaS platform

53. Picture: Desktop-Build/Karin Dalziel/Creative Commons
SaaS on AWS: shared
Feature usage
Monitoring Analytics
Ordering
Billing
Provisioning
Metering
SaaS platform
Auto Scaling
Auto Scaling
Customer 1 Customer 2

54. Picture: Desktop-Build/Karin Dalziel/Creative Commons
SaaS on AWS: containerization
Amazon EC2 Container Service Cluster
Monitoring Analytics
Ordering
Billing
Provisioning
Metering
SaaS platform
Customer 1 Customer 2

55. Picture: Desktop-Build/Karin Dalziel/Creative Commons
SaaS on AWS: containerization
Amazon EC2 Container Service Cluster
Monitoring Analytics
Ordering
Billing
Provisioning
Metering
SaaS platform
Customer 1 Customer 2
Amazon EC2 Container Service

56. Picture: Desktop-Build/Karin Dalziel/Creative Commons
Best practices for SaaS solution design
Design for multi-multi-tenancy
• Many accounts à many users à many roles
• Provide tiers for request prioritization
• Monitor closely and distribute resources efficiently
Know the lifecycle of your data
• Data value and usage changes over time
• Leverage efficient storage options over time
!
Spot

57. Picture: Desktop-Build/Karin Dalziel/Creative Commons
Picture: 2010_1310 - Coins_5/Ben Hosking/Creative Commons
Best practices for SaaS solution design
Optimize for cost and performance
• Cost and performance are not at odds but are
types of offerings
• Horizontal scalability at every layer
• Smaller, parallelizable resource units scale more
efficiently
• Leverage scalable services (e.g. Amazon
DynamoDB) where possible
!
Spot

58. Picture: Push The Button/Wlodi/Creative Commons
SaaS best practice
Collect everything and learn from it

59. Picture: Push The Button/Wlodi/Creative Commons
SaaS best practice
Collect everything and learn from it
• Closely monitor infrastructure and scale on software-
level metrics

60. Picture: Push The Button/Wlodi/Creative Commons
SaaS best practice
Collect everything and learn from it
• Closely monitor infrastructure and scale on software-
level metrics
• Collect your metrics reliably, store them durably

61. Picture: Push The Button/Wlodi/Creative Commons
SaaS best practice
Collect everything and learn from it
• Closely monitor infrastructure and scale on software-
level metrics
• Collect your metrics reliably, store them durably
• Know your customers

62. Picture: Push The Button/Wlodi/Creative Commons
SaaS best practice
Collect everything and learn from it
• Closely monitor infrastructure and scale on software-
level metrics
• Collect your metrics reliably, store them durably
• Know your customers
• Learn and profit through analytics
– Automatically adjust user experience and underlying
infrastructure in real time
– Evolve your business model through usage analysis
– Monetize the data you collect

63. Picture: Desktop-Build/Karin Dalziel/Creative Commons
Best practices for SaaS solution design
Automate everything
• Everything is now code
• Think about the development and runtime environments
• Dev/Ops practices and toolchains are key
• Use metrics to drive policy-based environment decisions

64. Picture: Growth/Adam Selwood/Creative Commons
Call to Action – What Now?
• Join the SaaS Partner Program
• Watch the APN Webcast for SaaS Partners
series
• Join the bi-monthly Office Hours to connect with
the SaaS Partner team live
• Ask questions through the APN Portal