What is Software as a Service?

Software as a Service refers to applications that are accessed through a web browser. Your company does not need any extra machines. And you don't even have to download or install anything on your PC. All you need is an Internet connection and a browser.

In the fast-growing Software as a Service industry software is no longer a product. It's not something you buy and install on a PC or on a server somewhere deep in your organisation. It's not something you pay a maintenance fee for or something that requires an upgrade every few years if you want to stay ahead. Software becomes a service that can be accessed from anywhere.

When you need something you increasingly search for it on the web. Someone somewhere has probably already asked themselves the same question. If you happen to find what you're looking for you generally have two options: buy it or rent it. If it's software you're looking for buying it is often a tedious process and a pretty big commitment. While renting it is a very different story. In fact we think it's a no-brainer: easy to start and zero commitment.

SaaS also turns on its head the traditional corporate software buying process. It gives the upper hand to the businesses. If the solution proposed in a SaaS mode meets the business demand then the IT department needs only to validate some technical aspects. That's it.

Gartner, the world's leading information technology research and advisory company, defines SaaS as software that is owned, delivered and managed remotely by one or more providers. The provider delivers an application based on a single set of common code and data definitions, which is consumed in a one-to-many model by all contracted customers anytime on a pay-for-use basis or as a subscription based on use metrics.

Why is SaaS so compelling for companies?

Saas has many advantages over traditional software:

Lower cost of ownership - implementing a SaaS solution does not come with the traditional hidden costs typically associated with traditional software. No set-up costs. No man-days to configure the system. No maintenance fees. No infrastructure investments. All you pay is a predicable monthly fee that covers everything you need.

Very fast deployment - deploying a Proxyclick solution literally takes a few minutes (yes, minutes). We guide you through your first steps (usually by phone). You invite your colleagues on the platform and that’s it. You’re good to go. Our solutions are employee-centric and very intuitive to use. Despite the depth and richness of our applications there is no specific training required for the employee.

Fast Return-on-Investment - the result of the two elements above.

Collaborative by nature - easy integration of employees and external partners (e.g. contractors) makes collaboration smooth and effective.

Data rich - you can retrieve at any time all the info you want and gain valuable insights into your business.

Continuous improvement - SaaS applications are always in direct contact with customers, hence they tend to adapt and improve quickly if changes need to be made. In short no user gets left behind. Everybody uses the same and latest version.

Lower risk - With SaaS solutions you pay as you go and you do not have any upfront investment. Therefore, you can pilot a SaaS solution for a few weeks before deciding to roll it out. At Proxyclick, this pilot is for free.

SaaS also means you need to be flexible

No Internet connection, no application - SaaS solutions rely on an internet access. Although smartphone and tablet access are increasingly giving you a fall-back option SaaS-based applications are best used with broadband access. If you don’t have an Internet connection we’re not much use to you.

Business process is fixed (or almost fixed) - You will be able to fine-tune some parts of the application to your specificities (e.g. through custom fields). But you will need to adapt to the broad lines of the business process supported by our solutions. The good thing is: the process you'll need to adapt to captures feedback from many clients who have the same needs as yours. As a result, this process is best practice.

Change is possible but it's not always immediate - Web-based applications can be upgraded or adapted to suit your needs. But you are not fully in control. Requested changes must first be relevant to the wider community of users (ie. if you're asking to have all pages coloured in pink we probably can't help you). Also, availability of the requested changes depends on upgrade release cycles. Your change will need to be incorporated into one of the planned upgrade releases.