By: Miley Dowling
Nowadays, it seems like we can’t mention technology without SaaS (or AI) in the same sentence. It’s everywhere, and for good reason: it’s predicted that American small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) will use SaaS for more business-related tasks this year versus 2015. But just by how much?
Three years ago, 35% of SMBs used SaaS for file sharing; this figure is estimated to go up by four-points in 2018. This gap is larger compared to online backup and storage, not to mention payroll and HR and online accounting, which predictions show will only make a 2- (online backup and storage) and 3-point jumps (payroll and HR and online accounting).
What’s with the increase? SaaS is more than a software distribution model businesses can use without the hassle of on-premise installation and maintenance. Read on to learn 3 not-so-obvious perks SaaS brings to the table—and why you need to include it in your arsenal (along with infrastructure monitoring and performance tools.)
SaaS Explained in 15 Seconds or Less
In a nutshell, SaaS—or software as a service—is a type of software distribution model that’s available online versus installed in the user’s hardware.
Making up one of the three cloud-computing categories (with IaaS and PaaS), it has a number of benefits—from high scalability to extreme flexibility—more of which is explained below.
The Not-So-Obvious Benefits of SaaS
Here are 3 benefits SaaS brings to the table.
1. It’s Versatile
What do we mean? Look at any company that offers customers SaaS products—from SalesForce to Microsoft— and you’ll see varying pricing models. Some use pay-as-you-go while others charge users based on features.
Consumers too will use SaaS-based off of their needs. Thanks to a busy month, consumers may pay more to use that SaaS product versus the following month.
Since many SaaS products don’t have fixed prices, companies may just pay for their monthly usage. What this shows is SaaS isn’t a one-size-fits-all for both company and consumer ends.
2. It’s Scalable
Especially when it comes to per feature pricing, if a company grows and wants more access to features, all it takes is a simple upgrade to a higher SaaS pricing tier. And, voila, more available features that align with the business’ needs and growth.
3. Accessibility is The Bread and Butter of SaaS
It can’t be said enough, what makes SaaS a standout is its easy installation and zero maintenance.
Instead of needing to schedule time out for on-premise installation and deal with the day-to-day software maintenance issues, SaaS allows for your IT staff to work on other more pressing tech matters such as cybersecurity and your business network.
Should your Internet falter or, dare we say, temporarily go down, SaaS is still usable. How so? Simple. As long as you can find some sort of Internet connection, you can still use and run said SaaS.
Final Thoughts: Lower Costs: What the SaaS Benefits Add Up To
Greater accessibility, high scalability, and extreme versatility all have one thing in common. They help businesses lower their costs. Thanks to these SaaS benefits, businesses typically only pay per usage, which means no money down the drain.
Also, as mentioned, with zero maintenance and no on-premise installations, businesses don’t have to waste time—and money—dealing with (unnecessary) software maintenance issues. Lastly, SaaS’ scalability allows you to grow without the growing pains; a simple upgrade is all you need to access more product features.
What other benefits do SaaS products have? Do you prefer SaaS to on-premise software? And, how has SaaS helped your business scale? Please be sure to comment in the comments section below.
