SaaS - Background, advantages and use at a glance

Imagine if you could modernise your entire company with just one click. SaaS makes this possible and is revolutionising the way companies around the world do business every day. SaaS not only offers easier handling of the IT infrastructure within companies, but also makes a significant contribution to increasing productivity.

In the following article, we will show you the impact that SaaS can have on your company and how you can utilise this technology optimally.

What is SaaS?

With Software as a Service, known as SaaS, the applications are hosted by a third-party provider and delivered over the internet. In short, this means that users can access the software and its functions without having to install them locally on their own computers or servers. Instead, users subscribe to the service, often for a monthly or annual fee, which results in significant cost savings – they only pay for what is actually used.

The idea of providing software via the network dates back to the 1960s. At that time, time-sharing systems were developed on mainframe computers. This idea was developed further and the modern form of SaaS began to emerge at the end of the 1990s. A milestone was the release of Salesforce.com in 1999, which was one of the first successful implementations of SaaS and is often recognised as a pioneer in this field.

By the way: You can find more exciting articles on interesting IT topics on our blog.

How SaaS has changed the IT landscape

SaaS has fundamentally changed the way companies organise their IT strategy. It has opened the doors to a more flexible, accessible and efficient use of software.

By utilising SaaS, companies have the opportunity to save extensive investment in costly hardware and software. Instead of buying and maintaining their own server, the applications are run on the provider’s servers. This feature is based on a centralised hosting approach where the SaaS software provider is responsible for maintenance, updates and security. Users can access the software via a web browser, allowing access and collaboration from virtually any location with an internet connection. In addition, this model eliminates the need for organisations to maintain large IT teams that would otherwise be required to maintain and update software.

Instead, organisations can realign their IT resources and focus on core business processes while the SaaS provider ensures infrastructure and application performance. This model promotes rapid scaling and adaptation to changing business needs, as the services provided by the SaaS service can be expanded or reduced as required. By redefining traditional software distribution and maintenance, SaaS has revolutionised the way companies manage their IT tasks.

Is SaaS a good fit for your project

Integrating a SaaS solution into your company can have a transformative effect. But how do you find out whether SaaS actually fits your current situation and challenges?  We have put together a guide on how you can find out whether SaaS is suitable for your company.

Needs analysis: It’s best to start by filtering out the specific needs of the company. What problems should the software solve? Which processes could be made more efficient? A clear idea of your requirements will help you to find out whether SaaS actually fits your initial situation and problems.

Market research: If SaaS turns out to be a solution, investigate various providers. Compare their features, pricing, security standards and customer support offered to make the best choice.

Security checks: Thoroughly review the providers’ security measures as your data will be stored on the provider’s servers. Make sure they adhere to industry-leading security certifications and compliance standards such as GDPR.

Alternative option: Depending on the specific requirements of your company, both a SaaS and an on-premise solution can be considered. An on-premise solution offers maximum control over the data as it remains completely in-house. This can be particularly advantageous for special compliance requirements. At the same time, SaaS solutions offer significant advantages in terms of flexibility, scalability and cost savings. Both options have their own merits and should be carefully considered to make the best decision for your organisation. Numerous SaaS providers have now also implemented robust and reliable cloud storage solutions. For example, we rely on Microsoft’s Azure cloud environment to keep both our data and that of our customers safe.

Training and support: Choose a provider that offers comprehensive training and support options. Invest in employees training to fully utilise the potential of the new software.

Data analysis as an example use case for SaaS solutions

There are numerous software solutions that are available as SaaS versions. You can therefore consider using a SaaS solution for data extraction and analysis. This allows you and your organisation to efficiently use valuable insights from the SAP systems to make informed business decisions.

These insights include:

• Data quality
• Incorrect postings
• Process analyses
• Fraud detection
• Cash recovery
• Compliance tracking
• SoD violations

Security aspects and data protection with SaaS

Security aspects and data protection are essential when using SaaS. However, many companies are hesitant to store their data in the cloud.  As part of our SaaS solution, which is hosted in the Microsoft Azure Cloud, we are familiar with Microsoft‘s extremely high data protection standards and would therefore like to illustrate which security measures are important:

• Firstly, SaaS solutions often utilise advanced encryption techniques to secure data both in transfer and storage. This means that information is encrypted before it leaves the device and remains protected until it reaches its destination. This makes it a secure and trustworthy solution.
• Secondly, reputable SaaS solution providers conduct regular security audits and follow strict compliance standards such as GDPR and the safeguarding of personal information. These practices ensure both security and fulfilment of legal requirements.
• Robust access and identity management also plays a central role. Modern technologies such as multi-factor authentication and role-based access controls ensure that you as a company always have an overview of who can access your Azure environment. These measures prevent unauthorised access and enable precise management of user rights, which means your sensitive data is even better protected.
• Regular penetration tests are another crucial security aspect for recognising vulnerabilities in the infrastructure at an early stage. Simulated attacks on the SaaS environment are used to test resistance to cyber attacks and potential security gaps can be proactively closed. This increases security and ensures continuous optimisation of protective measures.

Benefit from SaaS

Integrating a SaaS solution into your organisation can offer many wide-ranging benefits, from improved operations to increased efficiency and enhanced collaboration opportunities, SaaS is a future-proof solution. If you are looking for data analytics software for SAP data and have found that a SaaS solution is exactly what you need, we’ve got you covered. Discover dab Nexus Loom – our modern solution hosted on Microsoft servers. Here you benefit in particular from the user-friendliness and data security is guaranteed by Microsoft. With our solution, you only pay for what you actually use. If you already use Microsoft Azure in your company, integrating the software is particularly easy. If you’re curious, you can find out more about our work on the product page.

If you have any questions about how you can integrate our software solution dab Nexus into your company not only as an on-premise solution but also as a SaaS model, how the process works or if you have general questions about data management, SAP or similar, please contact us at any time. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have and look forward to hearing from you.