Glossary · IT & systems
SaaS
Software you use as a service in the cloud, instead of installing it yourself.
SaaS stands for Software as a Service. Instead of buying software and installing it on your own servers, you use it as a service. You sign in through your browser, and the supplier takes care of the servers, the updates and the maintenance.
The appeal is that you can start quickly and grow with what you need. You usually pay per user or per month, and you don't have to manage any technical infrastructure yourself. New features become available automatically.
There is a downside. You depend on the supplier for availabilityThe percentage of time that a system is available., price and where your data is stored. When choosing SaaS, work out the costs over several years, because a low monthly fee adds up considerably over time.
