【Table of contents】
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1. Introduction
You may not have heard of the term "SaaS" recently, but since the 2010s the term has been rapidly gaining traction in Japan. In this article, we will explain about "SaaS" in detail.
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2. What is SaaS?
"SaaS" stands for "Software as a Service". SaaS is a form of using applications and services created in the cloud through the Internet. For example, you must have used Google's Gmail, which is an email application built on Google's cloud and used over the Internet. In addition to Gmail, there are a lot of other SaaS that we use in our daily lives. In addition to map apps, smart phone games are also a type of SaaS.
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a) SaaS Features
There are three main features of SaaS.
- ・As long as you have an Internet connection, you can use the service at any time
It doesn't matter what kind of device you have, as long as you are connected to the Internet, you can use it. Also, if you have a Facebook or Twitter account, there are many services that allow you to link accounts, and more and more services are becoming available immediately without having to open an account.
- ・You only pay for what you use
There are a lot of free SaaS, but basically, you only pay for what you use. Pricing varies from service to service, but can take a variety of forms, from seconds to years, and "subscription," which has become the buzzword of 2019, is another type of SaaS fee structure.
- ・It can be shared with multiple people
SaaS allows you to share data and applications with multiple people over the Internet. You must have probably uploaded a file to Google Drive or something like that. When you use Google Drive, you don't have your own storage device, you're sharing Google's storage device with multiple people over the Internet.
- ・As long as you have an Internet connection, you can use the service at any time
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b) Difference between IaaS, PaaS and SaaS
We mentioned that SaaS is a form of using services in the cloud through the Internet, and in addition to SaaS, other forms of using services in the cloud include PaaS (Platform as a Service) and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). PaaS allows middleware, such as databases, to be used over the Internet. Also, IaaS rents the entire server and makes it available over the Internet.
Below is a table showing who and what is available.
IaaS PaaS SaaS Application Available to users Available to users Available to users Middleware Available to users Available to users Managed by service providers OS Available to users Managed by service providers Managed by service providers Network Managed by service providers Managed by service providers Managed by service providers Hardware Managed by service providers Managed by service providers Managed by service providers Data center Managed by service providers Managed by service providers Managed by service providers -
c) All sorts of "〇aaS"
Nowadays, various companies are using the cloud to provide their services. Among them, there are some businesses that are starting to be called SaaS in a different way. Let's look at this as an example.
- ・DaaS（Desktop as a Service）
This is a form of using a work environment (desktop environment) built in the cloud via the Internet. Normally, you need to purchase a large number of PCs and set up a working environment when starting up a company. However, with DaaS, you can get your work environment in place cheaper and faster.
- ・FaaS（Function as a Service）
In this format, programs are prepared in the cloud and executed when you want to use them. Lambda from AWS (Amazon Web Services: the largest cloud service provider) is famous for this format.
- ・AaaS（Analytics as a Service）
This is a format in which data analysis is performed using a data analysis infrastructure on the cloud. Data analysis machines are typically expensive, but are easy to use with AaaS, such as Google's BigQuery, which is well known.
- ・DaaS（Desktop as a Service）
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3. More about SaaS
We will describe the advantages and disadvantages of SaaS and the background of its spread in detail.
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a) Advantages and disadvantages of SaaS
We will look at the advantages and disadvantages of SaaS from the perspective of users and service providers.
- ・Advantages and disadvantages from the user's perspective
The advantage from the user's point of view is that you can use it anytime, as soon as you want. All you need is time, money and the internet to use the service as much as you want. Therefore, you don't need to have a specific device and you can use the service with less loss of money.
The disadvantage from the user's point of view is, above all, that you can't customize the application the way you want. The application is shared and used by a variety of people, so it's rarely customized for you. If your application is difficult to use, you have no choice but to submit an improvement request or find another application.
- ・Advantages and disadvantages from a service provider's perspective
The benefit from the service provider perspective is that it is very profitable. Until now, IT services have been customizing applications for each customer to make a profit. However, this method was costly and time-consuming and put a squeeze on profits. However, with SaaS, no customization is required and everyone is using the same application. If you create a great service and keep people coming back for more, you'll make money forever.
On the other hand, the disadvantage is that if you don't create a great service, you will soon run out of profit. Therefore, SaaS providers are struggling every day to make their applications better.
- ・Advantages and disadvantages from the user's perspective
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b) Future of SaaS
Now, as the use of clouds such as AWS and Azure increases around the world, more and more companies are creating services on those clouds and publishing them as SaaS. This will continue to increase in the future. Looking at these realities, we will continue to see more and more services in SaaS format, and a variety of services will be available to us.
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4. Conclusion
SaaS is a type of cloud usage. There are many other types of 〇aaS. If you are a user, try to find a service that works for you.
