Cloud VS. SaaS

As our world becomes more and more connected through the Internet, terms used to describe online services are blurred into one huge cloud of just, well…words! In this article, we define and compare “cloud computing” and “software as a service.” Which one fits best for your business? Do you think you know the differences between the two?

Let’s break it down with the cloud first. In general, cloud computing can be though of as any time a user is using a computer that resides outside of their physical location. Cloud computing allows distributed computing over a network- having the ability to run a program or application on many connected computers at the same time. Software as a service is a delivery model in which software and data are all centrally hosted on the cloud. SaaS has been increasing its presence in many businesses as being incorporated into the strategy of all leading enterprise software companies.

Cloud:

• Allows access to an environment that you can customize or build to suit your needs
• Offers elasticity- resources and costs can increase or decrease with your demands
• Users can outsource the care and maintenance of servers
• Increase volume output or productivity with fewer people
• Access anytime, anywhere, making life easy!

SaaS:

• New features appear in the software automatically, avoiding the need to purchase a software upgrade
• Your data is backed up automatically
• Applications are available from any computer or device
• Subscription based costs- no license fees means lower costs
• No installing necessary, SaaS providers manage all updates and upgrades!