Fibernet Corp services are often referred to in the tech industry as “SaaS,” or “Software as a Service.” The best way to describe SaaS is to start out with an example of what it is not: the flip side of SaaS is sometimes called “software as a product.” Software products can be purchased on a disk, brought home, and downloaded onto the customer’s computer. The customer has unlimited use of the product he or she has purchased. Microsoft Office Suites is an example of software as a product.
SaaS, however, is not a tangible product. Customers who buy SaaS are “renting” it rather than permanently owning it. This allows the vendor selling SaaS to offer periodic updates to the software without forcing customers to buy and download another program. Fixing bugs and installing patches is much easier as well.
Vendors can also share the software more easily with customers through the Internet. Data is stored on the cloud, making it accessible from anywhere in the world. Customers can download the product directly from a website, rather than from a physical disk.
The hardware that runs SaaS is owned and maintained by the vendor. Customers do not need to store extra data or manage the hardware.
The popular online game World of Warcraft is a good example of SaaS. Customers download the game from the website. They are able to access it through their Internet connection. Although some data is stored on their personal computer, the bulk of it is stored by Blizzard Entertainment’s servers. Users can download updates immediately after they are made available. Patches are installed constantly.
Many of Fibernet Corp’s products are SaaS. Data storage, web hosting, and cloud hosting are examples of Fibernet Corp’s SaaS.
Sources:
Goodrich, Ryan. “What is SaaS (Software as a Service)?” http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4793-what-is-saas-software-as-a-service.html. (10 Sept. 2013).
Rouse, Margaret. “Software as a Service (SaaS).” http://searchcloudcomputing.techtarget.com/definition/Software-as-a-Service. (10 Sept. 2013).