How SaaS is reshaping the software landscape

The software appeared in the 80s and had its heyday with manufacturers such as IBM or Microsoft. In the 2000s, he found competition with SaaS solutions, made possible by the democratization of Internet connections in businesses. Gradually, professionals are abandoning software in favor of SaaS platforms, which are more flexible and more scalable...

What is SaaS?

SaaS is an acronym borrowed from English that means Software as a Service, i.e. a solution developed in the same way as a service.

• Often opposed to software, it is a solution entirely hosted on the internet (in the “cloud” or “cloud-based”).
• Using such a Saas solution takes the hassle out of the installation: everything is integrated into the web browser and the program is immediately usable.
• The “service” is no longer specific to a single position, but is accessible directly online, from a web browser for example.
• Authentication (password, key...) allows you to connect to the web platform and access the services offered.
• Professional SaaS solutions are used for video conferences, customer relationship management (CRM), human resources management, messaging... to unify communications.
• Great flexibility of this solution, and the social and collaborative dimensions contribute to imposing it in daily life and in business processes.
• Establishments as diverse as insurance companies, e-commerce sites or factories use SaaS solutions as a management platform for their internal functioning.

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When SaaS takes precedence over software

The era of software is over, and is giving way to SaaS, which is more able to meet business expectations:

• No installation is required: Using such a solution eliminates the hassle of installing: everything is accessible on the web browser and the service is immediately usable. Sometimes, a dedicated application still needs to be installed, often for reasons of optimizing the experience or the interface, especially on mobile devices (but the service can be used via both paths).

• “On-premise” software (installed locally) has an inevitable obsolescence: The software is synonymous with buying in a store and installing it on the computer's hard drive. It is often impossible to make updates unless you buy the new version or a technician comes to perform maintenance (paid operation). Without an internet connection or contact with the software publisher, if your software no longer corresponds to your evolving needs, all you have to do is uninstall it and stop using it.

• A service in SaaS mode is automatically updated and refers the use of the software back to the Stone Age. Today, the programs are constantly evolving, adapting to the expectations and comments and feedback of users. These updates are included in the subscription and are carried out remotely, without intervention.

• A more suitable subscription system: Rather than buying software that is going to die, you should subscribe to a service that is going to evolve. Since the SaaS model does not have a planned lifespan, the purchase cannot have one either. The subscription system is therefore the most used and the most logical: we use the services developed by the publisher of the program and we benefit from the support and updates that come with it at no extra cost.‍
• To be able to control everywhere and on all supports: dematerialized solutions are generally accessible on all media: mobile, tablet, laptop... and from anywhere, as long as the terminal is connected to the Internet via 4G or 5G mobile networks. Ideal for people on the move or during meetings etc... The issue of mobility is one of the determining factors in choosing the service provider.
  

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Connecting your information system to the Internet should no longer be scary!

Do you know the weak point of all computer systems? It's humans. Hacker attacks and penetrations are often made possible by human error. The architecture system, whether local or SaaS, is not questioned.

• All banks use SaaS solutions: If there is one sector that is particularly concerned with problems related to data security, it is that of banks. And guess what? All use SaaS solutions and have developed particularly drastic security protocols that guarantee data security. The question of how to trust the security of SaaS solutions is no longer up for debate.
• The world is connected, why not you? Today, we all have access to the web. Objects are also becoming terminals that deliver data. It is the whole world that is found on platforms in SaaS mode. They make it possible to share information, to work in a unified way with several people or to order objects without moving from one's armchair. Even cars are connected to the Internet. For example, it is by adopting a SaaS solution that a company will begin its digital transformation. Habits are changing and businesses need to keep up. It is not only a question of adaptation but also of improving daily life.

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Digital signage is no exception to the SaaS revolution

The connected screen sector is also experiencing this change and only providers offering a SaaS platform are doing well...

The needs of managers of retail networks, advertising agencies or large companies have evolved at the same time as technological advances.

• Today, it is far too expensive (in money and time) to install software on each of the communicators' workstations, and collaborative management is complicated.

• Impose fixed workstations for screen management slows down greatly the reactivity.

• Not to mention the need for the supplier to travel in the event of an incident on the software, which can rarely be resolved remotely.

• The expectations of professionals are clear: that all the screens present in all points of sale or offices are controlled by several people spread around the world. This is the case, for example, of Diana Pet Food International Group who communicates on screens in 14 countries in 8 different languages.

Only a SaaS platform will allow all this information to be aggregated and made possible.

You have a digital signage project, ask for a demonstration.