If you may sound familiar with SaaS, especially a layman or a beginner, you must know this because by knowing this term more deeply, you can expand your knowledge in the digital world. SaaS or Software as a Service is widely used or even used by the general public, for example the use of Google Mail, Google Docs where you can access the application without you having to install it on your computer.
In the business world, SaaS is claimed to be able to provide the best service to users because in addition to minimizing maintenance costs, it can also develop applications to make them bigger.
1. What is SaaS?
SaaS or Software as a Service is a cloud-based service that offers users online software for easy access. SaaS is also often referred to in several terms such as hosted software, on-demand software, web based software.
To use this SaaS, all you need to prepare is an internet connection, meaning if you don't have internet then you can't access it because basically, SaaS is an online-based cloud service with some authentication needed such as a username or password in order to use the SaaS service.
SaaS provides solutions for companies, individuals, to solve their problems without bothering to think about it, for example maybe you need software to manage email, in other words your company doesn't need to make the software from 0 apart from taking time and also certainly requires a very large cost , you can use a SaaS service to handle this.
SaaS service users will not bother to think about data storage, licenses, servers etc. so that users can efficiently develop it quickly because it can be used directly only through the internet without having to install the application.
2. The difference between SaaS and other services
To know this, you need to know some characteristics of SaaS itself with other services such as:
1. Cloud storage system
SaaS service providers will provide solutions to users regarding data storage, because by being able to access data in the cloud, users can access it flexibly, the data can be accessed on any device and also minimize data loss.
2. Internet-based services
Fundamentally, SaaS was created to provide services to users online, because SaaS is very dependent on cloud infrastructure so that users can access it online.
3. Structured
SaaS providers have thought about the infrastructure carefully and structured so that users can access it easily without having to think about hardware or manual installation.
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of SaaS?
Just like other services, SaaS also has some advantages and disadvantages, let's start with the advantages first.
1. Great time saving
By using SaaS services, you don't need to think about managing servers, hardware, maintenance to get the services you need, all handled by the provider or vendor.
2. Save cost
SaaS really provides a solution, because users don't need to think about operational costs, users only pay for the services offered by the provider within a certain period of time such as per month or per year. This is very cost-effective because users do not need to buy a license, pay for server maintenance, etc.
3. Data storage that has been prepared by the provider
Users do not need to think about how data is stored, because with SaaS services, all data storage responsibilities are borne by the service provider or vendor.
4. The data presented is real-time
SaaS will provide real-time data that makes it easier for users to analyze data, this will make it easier for users or companies to do their business planning quickly.
5. Can be accessed anywhere
As long as there is internet, users can use SaaS services flexibly, regardless of whether users use windows, linux, Mac, Android or iOS, SaaS services can still be accessed because they only require an internet browser.
So what are the disadvantages of SaaS itself? let's see.
1. Data security
In choosing a SaaS service, you need to pay attention to data security, in the digital world or the internet anything can happen, therefore data is a crucial part that must be considered. This of course causes anxiety for the company. The user database stored on the vendor's server can be accessed as long as the user has a username and password, if the security is low, it is certainly very risky for data leakage to occur, therefore choose a trusted SaaS provider.
2. Highly dependent on the internet
SaaS is very dependent on the internet, therefore if the user has a bad internet connection, then the user will find it difficult to access it.
3. Limited features
SaaS is a ready-to-use cloud application with various features in it, users cannot change applications freely, limited features may be a barrier for users if they want more features.
4. What is the difference between SaaS, PaaS and IaaS?
SaaS is very different from other types of services such as PaaS or IaaS, in cloud technology there are 3 types of services that can be used by users, then what is the meaning of PaaS and IaaS?
1. Understanding PaaS
PaaS or Platform as a service is a cloud service that is used by users to create applications on it, meaning that users are given the freedom to build the required applications, when using PaaS services, all servers, storage, etc. are managed by third parties, users only manage their own applications, for example such as Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud Platform.
PaaS has its own characteristics including:
- Resources can be increased or decreased according to existing changes.
- Provide additional services to assist the development process quickly.
- The integration process is web-based or a capable database.
2. Definition of IaaS
IaaS or Infrastructure as a Service is a type of cloud service that offers physical servers or virtual servers, which means that users do not need to buy additional hardware, perform routine maintenance because all user needs have been provided by the vendor. IaaS service providers will provide resources such as servers, networks, storage or data centers. Examples of companies offering IaaS services such as Cloudflare.
IaaS also has its own characteristics including:
- The services provided are already provided by the vendor.
- Costs can be adjusted according to the use of resources.
- Very flexible
- Have full control over all the infrastructure.
Conclusion
With this SaaS technology, we can easily solve problems in our work without having to think about how the application is made, we as users only use it according to the costs offered by the vendor. Cloud-based services such as SaaS are indeed becoming popular, so many companies are offering SaaS services to the general public.
