SaaS
A checklist for SaaS selection
Software as a service provides
anytime, anywhere access to programs without
the burden of maintenance.
by Siamak Farah
Enterprise networks and software present
numerous challenges. Hardware has to be
replaced every few years, software updates
can cause downtimes, and resources are
consumed by the effort of keeping day-to-day
operations uneventful. Enter software as a
service (or SaaS) that can be used as
desired without the burden of maintenance.
In order for software to be considered
true SaaS, look for the following criteria:
Fully managed and hosted.
Users should not be concerned with servers
and updates, and whether the software will
be outdated. The service ensures that the
software is always there, and always up to
date.
Charged in recurring payments.
This gives a comfort level to clients,
knowing that the provider will work hard to
deserve ongoing payments, and reduces the
barrier to use by eliminating large upfront
hardware and software investments.
Economies of scale. The
collective intelligence that a multitenant
solution provides facilitates frequent and
rapid improvements. Most SaaS systems are
designed so that clients are partitioned in
a way that they will never fear of being on
multi-tenant servers. An example of a
multi-tenant yet private solution is a cell
phone. Once a conversation leaves the phone
and is connected to a cell, it is processed
through a shared cellular network, enabling
seamless conversations. If this shared
network did not exist, no single person
could afford cellular connectivity.
Access anywhere there is a browser and an
Internet connection. Anytime, anywhere
access not only provides what is needed when
it is needed, but also enables
geographically dispersed groups to work as
if they were under one roof. With SaaS,
companies can afford to allow employees to
work from outside the office without the
fear of loss of productivity. SaaS solutions
also should work securely with any browser
and not require any special download before
they can be used.
Look for the following criteria when
selecting software as a service: control,
performance (always available), cost
savings/affordability, instant
deployment/smooth migration, low learning
curve/ease of use, built-in capacity
planning and scalability, recurring
payments, and secure anytime, anywhere
access.
Also, when choosing a SaaS provider, look
for the following:
- SaaS not being an afterthought, but a
design requirement;
- longevity/track record;
- private labelling;
- integrated suite of interoperating
applications; and proven scalability.
Siamak Farah is the founder and CEO
of InfoStreet, Los Angeles.
For more information from
InfoStreet,
(click here)