Software as a Service (SaaS) – Third-party software that works for you

Whether it’s a product or service your business provides, how your team utilizes software has a direct impact on campaign and project success. Here we breakdown what SaaS is and the benefits it brings to your daily work.

What is Software as a Service (SaaS)?

SaaS is a third-party application available via the internet. It doesn’t require hardware, licenses or integrations and customers pay a monthly or yearly fee. Automatic updates are made by outside vendors who own the software and maintenance belongs to the owner. Google Drive is considered software as a service. If you use Office 365 to draft documents on Microsoft Word or send emails, you are also using SaaS. Salesforce is an example of SaaS versatility and focuses on customer relationship management. SaaS is a part of daily working life and is commonly used across multiple departments.

SaaS examples:

• Dropbox for storage
• Mailchimp for email marketing
• YouTube for video content
• Slack for communication
• Personio for human resource management

Software as a service is cloud-based. It replaces an on-premise model of hardware installation with device login via the internet. A plus of SaaS is the fact that the provider manages everything associated with the software and is responsible for maintenance. This includes updates, integrations, licenses and ensuring security measures are maintained. Third-party usage frees up IT teams to focus on in-house work and enables colleagues to access and share files.

SaaS improves teamwork

Collaboration is improved when teammates are able to work from a single place. Office hardware can slow down how information is stored, shared and interpreted and this has an effect on team productivity. Software as a service delivers communal access points and databases for entire teams to use. Enterprise Resource Planning is a good example of successful SaaS. It is used to consolidate customer information in one place to give a better customer experience. SaaS is scalable which means as your business grows there’s no issue with external servers.

Mobility and agility in the digital space

Another benefit of using a web browser or app-based service is mobility. Teams become agile when able to access digital assets, files or the services they need from anywhere. Networks, runtime and data are all managed by the SaaS vendor, freeing up time for your teams to visualize a campaign or realize project goals. The ability to work remotely is another plus.

5 benefits of SaaS:

• Cost-efficient price points
• Host servers with large capacity
• Automatic system management updates
• Scalable integrations
• Quality control

Enjoy widespread adoption and seamless integration when using SaaS across your business. But also keep in mind your security requirements before entrusting a third-party service with sensitive data. A little research beforehand will ensure the service you choose is the right fit for your business operations.