SaaS Market

What is SaaS?

Software as a Service or SaaS is essentially a software sharing framework offered by third party institutions to host assistive applications and enabling customers to gain access to them via the internet. SaaS is considered as a scion of cloud computing which works in tandem with other offshoots like Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). SaaS eliminates the necessity by organizations to physically install as well as run certain applications in their computer systems of data centers. This implies that such an organization makes redundant costs associated with acquisition, provisions and maintenance of hardware as well as other IS related essentials such as software installation, support and licensing. “An organization that provides software as a service (SaaS) provides not only hardware infrastructure, but also an operating system and application programs as well” (Kroenke145). Widespread adoption of SaaS has proven to appraise employee satisfaction, communication and enable a significant reduction in IT related expenditures. It has, however, presented fresh challenges for IT within SaaS powered workplaces compelling for critical MIS changes geared towards reassessing responsibilities, budgets, processes and roles for the IT function in such organizations.

What hardware, networking, and software are included in providing a SaaS solution?

According to Politis employing SaaS implies that rather than purchasing particular software, the organization as a user is presented with the opportunity the same as a service, that is attain the right to productively employ such software. In the provision of a SaaS solution, providers dedicate requisite resources vital for hardware maintenance, upgrades, data backup and all other actionable processes needed for the flawless functioning of the software.  For instance, Google’s web browser, Google Chrome offers Gmail as an application that enhances organizational processes. The task of ensuring the hardware, networking, and software necessary to ensure Gmail continues performing at optimized levels rest with Google Chrome, more specifically, Google. Prior to the development of SaaS, the use of such an application required the organization purchasing the rights to use a given application to bear all associated costs including sourcing for hardware, networking and software.

What is the strategic rationale for companies to deploy SaaS solutions in their workplace?

Organizations are increasingly seeking to convert to SaaS powered workplaces in line with strategic agendas aimed at enhancing user experiences, access to continuing innovations as well as adhering to best practices towards greater emphasis on ethics. According to Kroenke, “Processors, data communication and data storage are cheap; it allows for the application of virtualization technology; and the internet ensures standardized yet flexible processing capabilities” (Kroenke 145). Workplaces investing in SaaS are able to witness faster implementation of desired applications with markedly rapid value attainment. Adoption of SaaS within a company allows for the strategic positioning towards state mission, vision and objectives enabling for optimized acquisition and subsequent retention of talent ultimately resulting in outstanding business process improvements.

What suggestions would you make for universities such as UD with regards to the use of SaaS for students and faculty?   

As Politis provides, most organizations look to the ease of use as well as the cost to embrace SaaS workplaces leading to a situation where security as a critical factors is normally overlooked. “However, the Internet is a jungle of threats to data and computing infrastructure” (149). It is critical to present the suggestion to a university such as UD that SaaS can be employed securely for students as well as faculty. By applying a mix of available technologies it is possible to offer secure information relay via the Internet. The university like UD can rely on a virtual private network or VPN to utilize the institution’s public internet to generate the presence of a private connect via a secured network. However, a VPN may prove insufficient for an institution as large as UD University. The best suggestion would to use a private cloud that allows the different faculties, students, and other related associations to formulate their own private internet and subsequently formulate applications relying on conventional Web services standards. This ensures that the faculties, students or associated associations are capacitated to withstand attempts to access information from outside the private cloud.

Works Cited

Kroenke, David M. MIS essentials. Upper Saddle River,NJ: Pearson. 2015. Print.

Politis, David. The 2017 state of the SaaS-powered workforce report. Better Cloud Monitor. 2017. Web 31May. 2017.

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