Software as a Service (SaaS)
What is SaaS?
SaaS is software on tap – instead of buying your software and the hardware to run it, you plug into a web-based system and do your thing. Software, hardware, training and implementation are covered by the monthly rental.
This is not the same as a “hosted” system – where a service provider runs your software on his server (or maybe your own) on his premises, and your people access the system from the own PCs, for a monthly management fee. Here you still have the capital expenditure up front, but you generally don’t have to employ IT people to handle infrastructural maintenance because that is part of the service.
For companies which require a specific software solution – for example, a payroll system, a SaaS solution could be a good fit.
For small to medium organizations, first prize would be a total business solution delivered as a web-based service.
With bandwidth costs set to drop as time goes by, SaaS becomes a viable alternative to the traditional (and often painful) ownership of your own system.
But don’t hold your breath looking for a complete Saas offering in South Africa – there don’t seem to be many around just yet, however we continue to investigate.
Call us for more information.