Article written by Leo Reiter
If you’re in the market for public cloud services, it’s extremely important to understand what class of service best aligns with your needs as a buyer. Most public cloud services can be categorized into one of three classes:
Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS is something we all use almost every day, sometimes without even realizing it. It combines preconfigured software “best practices” with automated workflows to solve end user problems directly. SaaS hides the underlying complexity of infrastructure orchestration and application management. It also reduces integration effort with existing systems and tools, since it simplifies workflows for specific use cases. The result is immediate value without costly setup woes, combined with straightforward ways to pay for service. Examples of SaaS providers include Google, Microsoft, and Salesforce.com. SaaS is typically billed on a monthly recurring basis, per user, since the details of the underlying infrastructure are not exposed. Buyers range from individual end users (consumer or professional) to departments (who purchase in volume).