3 Reasons Why SaaS is King

Instead of having to buy, build and maintain costly technology infrastructure, companies are increasingly turning to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) models of software. SaaS solutions, such as PGi’s iMeet portfolio of UC&C products, offer companies instant access to cloud-based tools that are available anywhere on any device. They are much easier to test and deploy and can significantly lower the burdens on your own tech staff since a SaaS vendor like PGi hosts and manages everything for you.

But don’t take my word for it: research firm Gartner is estimating the SaaS market will exceed $20 billion this year.

Let’s take a look at 3 reasons why SaaS is quickly becoming king:

Try Quickly, Buy Quickly

Buying cycles for enterprise software have always been lengthy, but SaaS makes it practically effortless to prototype and demo a new piece of software throughout your organization. Remember—a SaaS solution already exists in the cloud, all you’re doing is accessing it.

Ungainly, lengthy deployments and ramp-up periods are a thing of the past. With SaaS solutions, you can try, buy and be using a tool practically instantaneously. The barrier for entry is incredibly low, which is a boon for SMBs and smaller organizations.

But even for larger companies and enterprises, while account managers will walk you through the purchasing process, the deployment is just as simple. The burden on your own infrastructure and resources is much, much lower.

Vendors Shoulder the Burdens

One of the most attractive aspects of SaaS for any organization is that the software doesn’t live or need to be maintained within your own systems. The vendor hosts and is responsible for the maintenance of the tool, significantly lowering the burden on your IT department.

All of that time and effort spent maintaining systems, upgrading security and adding new features and functionality? That’s on us. The SaaS vendor handles all of that, so you can always be assured that you have the most up-to-date version, the latest features and recent security patches—with no effort required on your end.

Lower, Controlled and Predictable Cost

Finally, let’s get to the bottom line and talk cost. The vast majority of SaaS software operates on a license model, an all-you-can-eat monthly-recurring cost that is predictable and devoid of variance and potential spikes. This makes it easier than ever to budget for new technologies.

In addition, SaaS subscriptions again lower the barrier to entry by removing high upfront investments. And again, you won’t have to dedicate precious IT resources to maintaining these tools because it’s all handled by the vendor. Lower initial costs, more controlled costs and more predictable costs are all a huge component of the benefit that SaaS brings to any organization.

Whether you look at consumer or business technologies, the writing is plainly on the wall: our data and apps are moving to the cloud. Thankfully, businesses can benefit immensely from turning to SaaS solutions, and adapting your tools to the cloud will help you cut costs and ultimately drive business growth.

To learn more about the benefits of SaaS and the cloud for your organization, download PGi’s free eBook “Are You Afraid of the Cloud? 5 of the Scariest Cloud Myths Busted” today.