Is SaaS Right For You?

Software-as-a-Service utilizes the infrastructure of cloud computing to deliver one application to multiple users, regardless of their location. This differs from the traditional model of one application per desktop. As a result, this allows activities and applications to be managed from a central location in a one-to-many model, including the architecture, pricing, partnering, and management characteristics.

What can SaaS help your agency with?

• Email and instant messaging
• Desktop productivity, such as document creation and sharing
• Collaboration and presence
• Payment processing
• Identity and relationship management
• Citizen services delivered through the web

If SaaS sounds like a product your organization could use, here are some tips to help you get started!

1. Fees don’t decline over time, so be sure you compare the up-front cost savings to the long-term subscription usage
2. Ensure the possibility of sharing your solution with other agencies
3. Some hosted versions are not identical to their desktop counterparts – be sure the SaaS solution has all of the features your organization requires
4. Do you own your data? Your service agreement with a provider should specify that the client owns the data – without a time limit
5. Applications in the cloud have been running for years. Are you taking the right approach? Look for service-oriented architectures (SOA), web services standards, and web application frameworks- they are much easier to integrate

Software-as-a-Service has the potential to transform the way your organization’s IT departments relate and even think about their role as providers to the rest of the company. If SaaS seems like a fit for you, contact AeroCom today and we can pair you up with the right provider with the best available prices & quotes to fit all of your telecommunications needs!