Contributed Article.  Author: Shawn Barker, senior product manager at Quest Software (now part of Dell)

 

 

Software as a Service (SaaS) is not a new trend, by any means. Most of us have been using cloud-based email and online services for conference meetings for some time. But what about systems management or IT tasks that typically have been accomplished with software that is installed on our own servers? On-premises software can be overkill for in-and-out projects such as a compliance audit or an email migration.
 

SaaS offers a number of benefits over traditional software. So, while SaaS might be an easy choice for email or conferencing, here are a few compelling reasons to consider a SaaS offering for your next IT project:

Scalability – SaaS applications are designed to operate in a highly available, distributed data center environment. They take advantage of server and bandwidth scaling to provide access to more users; run at a higher performance level; and handle more data. This means you get the same service, regardless of how many users you have, and you don’t have to provision new hardware and systems. The provider will dynamically provide the scale you need.
 

Costs – Large-scale software implementations are expensive, and there are ongoing costs associated with maintaining and upgrading the software. In addition to pure software charges, there also is the cost of IT staff time for planning, implementing and maintaining the software. With a SaaS solution, infrastructure deployment, availability monitoring, ongoing maintenance, and updates all are managed by the provider. New functionality not only is delivered to you automatically, it is often included in the subscription charges you pay.
 

Time – Deploying a SaaS solution can be significantly faster and more cost effective than implementing on-premises alternatives. Often, less time is required for deploying a less complex SaaS application, since there typically is no hardware required on your network – the infrastructure is deployed and managed by the provider. This also translates to a faster start-up time, allowing you to get more quickly to the project with which you are tasked, rather than spending lots of time implementing the software.
 

Given this, you can see why SaaS is rapidly increasing in popularity with the IT crowd. In many cases, it offers more benefits than traditional on-premises software: it can speed deployment, reduce capital and operating costs, and deliver value to you more quickly than traditional options. So, the next time you have a project with a software need, carefully consider both the traditional and SaaS alternatives.

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