Chapter 6

Exploring Software as a Service

In This Chapter

Seeing the characteristics of SaaS

How SaaS fits in the hybrid cloud world

Understanding the hybrid SaaS ecosystem

Exploring different types of platforms

Although most developers are familiar with using Infrastructure as a Service (IasS), most end users are much more familiar with Software as a Service (SaaS). Software as a Service is the way many business users are first introduced to the cloud, because SaaS applications are designed to implement a specific business process — ranging from accounting to customer relationship management (CRM), collaboration, and human resource management. These business users have increasingly found that SaaS applications represent a more cost-effective, flexible, and secure alternative to traditional on-premises applications.

SaaS is not a stand-alone environment. Instead, these applications and services are frequently used in combination with lots of other cloud and on-premises models. Companies need their SaaS applications to couple with other applications and platforms on their own data center and with other cloud platforms. In this chapter, we take a look at the value of SaaS and how it works in a hybrid world.