Software as a service (SaaS) is a delivery model of cloud computing that is used by many business applications. It entails licensing software, which is centrally hosted, on a subscription basis.

1. Comprehensive
Information on Software
as a Service

2. Table of Contents
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Cloud-based Solutions
Cloud Service Models
Example of Iaas, PaaS and SaaS
Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS Delivery
SaaS Characteristics
SaaS Advantages
When to Use SaaS
SaaS Limitations and Concerns
Lack of Control
Interoperability
Lack of Integration Support
Data Security
Vendor Lock-in
Customization
Feature Limitations
Performance and
downtime

3.  An on-demand delivery of computing resources that can be accessed via the Internet and
through the shared cloud computing infrastructure of another provider is known as a cloud-
based solution (cloud). Access is provided by it to many resources (storage space, networks,
software and applications and other on-demand services).
 Increased scalability as well as functionality, a reduction in cost with regard to computer
infrastructure, maintenance and for keeping and training an in-house IT staff, are the benefits
that are provided by cloud-based solutions. Such solutions help companies to focus on their
core business.
 There are 3 categories of Cloud pricing models.These are-
 Servers in the cloud
 Applications/sites in the cloud
 Storage in the cloud
3
Cloud-based Solutions

4.  Cloud service models are of three types. These are distinctly different from each other. These
three types of cloud service models are capable of interacting with each other for the purpose
of forming a comprehensive cloud service model. The three types of cloud service models are
mentioned below, in no particular order.
 Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
 Platform as a Service (PaaS)
 Software as a Service (SaaS)
4
Cloud Service Models

5.  IaaS- AmazonWeb Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, DigitalOcean, Linode, Rackspace, Google
Compute Engine (GCE) and Cisco Metapod.
 PaaS- Windows Azure,AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Heroku, Force.com,Apache Stratos, OpenShift,
and Google App Engine.
 SaaS- CiscoWebEx, GoogleWorkspace, Dropbox, Salesforce, GoToMeeting and Concur.
 To digress, the Internet is used to access numerous websites. These websites are made
accessible by web hosting companies that provide server space and the necessary technology
and services that are needed to keep a website up and running and accessible over the Internet.
There are various types of web hosting, such as Linux Dedicated Server Hosting,
Windows Dedicated Hosting, WordPress Hosting in India and abroad etc.
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Example of Iaas, PaaS and SaaS

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you proud?

7.  SaaS (Software as a Service) is the most commonly utilized option in the cloud market for
enterprises and involves the usage of the Internet to deploy software to various businesses. It is
an ideal option for short-term projects and functions as an important tool for applications that
need a considerable amount of web or mobile access.
 SaaS is managed from a central location. Hence, businesses don’t need to worry about its
maintenance. SaaS delivers applications, which are managed by a third-party, to its users over
the Internet. Most of the SaaS applications can be run directly via the web browser. This
eliminates the requirement for downloads or installations on the client side.
7
Software as a Service (SaaS)

8.  SaaS follows a web delivery model. This does away with the need to download and install
applications on each individual system. SaaS calls for vendor management of all potential
technical issues that have to do with data, servers, middleware and storage. This ensures
maintenance that is streamlined as well as support for the business.
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SaaS Delivery

9. The main characteristics of SaaS are described below.These are mentioned in no particular
order.
 Accessible over the Internet
 Managed from a central location
 Users are not responsible for hardware or software updates
 Hosted on a remote server
9
SaaS Characteristics

10. SaaS Advantages
There are numerous advantages of SaaS that benefit both, employees and companies. It lessens to a
great extent the time as well as the money that is required for the purpose of installing, upgrading
and managing software. SaaS solutions usually exist in cloud environments, which are scalable and
can be integrated with other SaaS offerings.

11. SaaS proves to be the most beneficial solution in several situations. Some of these are
mentioned below.
 Applications that require both, web and mobile access
 Startups or small-sized companies which don’t have time for server issues or software
 Short-term projects that need swift, easy and affordable collaboration
 Applications that are not used too often
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When to Use SaaS

12.  The limitations and concerns with regard to SaaS are, a lack of control, interoperability, a lack of
integration support, data security, vendor lock-in, customization, downtime, and limitations with
regard to features and performance. These will be discussed in more detail in the following
slides.
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SaaS Limitations and Concerns

13.  Third-party service providers control SaaS solutions. These controls are not limited to the
software with regard to the updates, versions as well as appearance but include data and
governance as well. Hence, customers might need to redefine their models that have to do with
data security and governance, in order to accommodate the SaaS service’s features and
functionality.
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Lack of Control

14.  Integration with existing applications and services can be challenging in the event that the SaaS
application has not been designed to follow integration’s open standards. Such a situation will
require that organizations design their own integration systems. The other option for such
organizations is to decrease dependencies on SaaS services. This might not be possible in every
situation.
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Interoperability

15.  Many companies require integration with on-premise applications, data and services. If a SaaS
vendor provides limited support in this regard, then organizations will be forced to invest
internal resources for the purpose of designing as well as managing integrations. The SaaS
application’s or other dependent services’ usage can be further limited by the complexity of
integrations.
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Lack of Integration Support

16.  There might be a requirement to exchange large volumes of data with the backend data centers
of SaaS apps for the purpose of performing the necessary software functionality. When sensitive
business information is transferred to public-cloud based SaaS service, it might lead to
compromised security and compliance. Moreover, it might result in a considerable cost for large
data workloads’ migration.
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Data Security

17.  It might be made easy by vendors to join a service but difficult to opt out of it. This might
happen in the situation when the data is not portable, either technically or cost-effectively,
across SaaS apps from other vendors without having to bear a significant cost or in-house
engineering rework. Moreover, not all the vendors follow standard protocols, APIs and tools but
these features can be essential for certain business tasks.
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Vendor Lock-in

18.  The least amount of customization capabilities are offered by SaaS apps. Hence, users might face
limitations with regard to specific functionality as well as performance and integration, due to
what has been offered by the vendor. However, those on-premise solutions which have several
software development kits (SDKs) provide more customization options.
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Customization

19.  SaaS apps usually come in standardized forms. Hence, the choice of features might prove to be a
trade-off between cost, security, performance and other organizational policies.
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Feature Limitations

20. Performance and downtime
Since a vendor controls as well as manages the SaaS service, the customers will
have to depend on the vendor for the maintenance of the security and
performance of the services. The performance of the SaaS app might be
impacted by planned as well as unplanned maintenance, network issues and
even cyber-attacks, even if adequate service level agreement (SLA) protections
exist.

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