Software as a service or SaaS is a growing industry. It is also lucrative, as there are companies that hire a SaaS marketing consultant to help them reach as many customers as they possibly can. More developers are moving out of the confines of local devices to taking advantage of the cloud.
One factor is that this allows them to program the software without worrying about many hardware configurations since the application they are making is going to run in a browser that most computers nowadays can handle. They can just focus on having it run well on their remote systems.
Such is the power of cloud computing. You don't need powerful hardware sitting beside you because you can tap these remote systems to do the crunching for you. Your browser will display the information you need.
The Potential of SaaS in Business
SaaS can be a profitable product you can offer. Decades ago, when you produce software, you have to deal with a lot of logistics. Creating the software is one thing, but deploying it is another. You had to think about its packaging and pressing it onto CDs or DVDs. These all have accumulated costs.
Now, with the power of high-speed internet, it is easier for the program to reach users. They can just go and download it to their computers. This eliminates the cost associated with logistics. Bringing SaaS to users is different though because you only need to install a modern browser on your computer to run them.
In a way, this is a more instant form of deployment. The end users don't have to worry too much if their computer is good enough since browsers don't need much power. This is also where potential success lies. Computers are not the only ones capable of running browsers.
Many other devices can run them, and they are affordable too. These can be in consumer devices like mobile phones, tablets, and video game consoles. All this means is that there is a broader audience to cater to.
The computer user base is already large enough, so imagine what more you can have if you combine it with the others. It's no wonder why it is predicted to grow to a $166-billion market this year.
Benefits for the User
Aside from the low entry barrier, users of SaaS have more benefits. For one, they don't have to worry about updating the software. The developers can work on their program continuously without having to ask users to download anything. If there are new features that have been added, the end-user will see it right away.
Another benefit is customer support. The level of control on the developer's side is already good enough that they can make patches quickly. But if there are new ones discovered, these can easily be reported.
It looks like the future is going to be powered by the cloud. There already are good ones out there, like photo editors, animation suites, and office productivity tools. But the great thing is, things can only get better from now, and more users will come in. The future for SaaS is very bright.