What Is The Difference Between Saas And Cloud Computing?

Software as a service, or SAAS, is an established concept that has been in existence for the past 10 years or so

. Many people become confused when they hear reference to cloud computing, as they believe this is essentially what software as a service represents. However, these are two distinct terms and we can refer specifically to technological differences and the variation in applicable technique, resource allocation and presentation to determine the distinction.

It's important to understand the difference between software as a service and cloud computing, as without a clear picture incorrect decisions could be made and indeed decision-makers could find themselves assessing the viability of future projects based on incomplete or incorrect knowledge.

Some believe that the original term "software as a service" was penned by the Software and Information Industry back in 2001, in reference to a published white paper. Such term would generally refer to software for business which can be made available on demand, which allows application access minus the complicated licensing across devices needed to gain access to the software. As such, it refers to "on demand" licensing, essentially, allowing the software in question to be available on an as needed basis. Software as a service developed and became synonymous with browser access, allowing users to access software on demand.

Cloud computing is essentially an evolution of software as a service. The major difference is essentially determined by accessibility and environment. Whereas the software as a service customer is subscribing to a specific service, the cloud computing customer subscribes to the computing environment, which can be scalable and on-demand. The subscriber can generally access multiple solutions from this association, rather than having to manage and look after the solutions within their own data centers. While software as a service can access cloud computing resources as part of this delivery process, the limitations associated with specific software as a service solutions hastened the development of the cloud computing concept. Subscribers have demanded for more than just single applications, but needed real flexibility associated with access to a secure environment like it is their own, minus the headache related to its maintenance.

Since software as a service came around by some time in 2000, a lot of revolution associated to this software has already taken place. Due to the impacts of the most recent recession, executives are looking at ways to save on capitalization and would be more careful when it comes to investments. Moreover, processing power is not very much cheaper than how it was which promises more economic viability for companies if they switch to cloud computing solutions for their data handling needs.

It's important for decision-makers to understand that they may not be subject to the restrictions that a typical software as a service vendor may impose, when they select cloud computing for their needs. Their solutions and applications may be accessed with relative ease, regardless of location, offering tremendous flexibility. As major equipment upgrades and capital expenditure may be avoided, true economies can be expected.

by: George Hadjiyanis

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