There has been a lot of buzz about Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) in the BCP world. But it’s extremely important for BC professionals to understand: What exactly is true SaaS – and what is buzzword marketing?
SaaS is software that’s subscription-based and hosted within the vendor’s secure IT environment. The primary purpose of a SaaS model is to release you and your organization from the hefty cost and time overhead associated with traditional software, allowing you to start using your software for its primary business purpose as soon as possible.
The principle of a true SaaS model is simple: YOU have no responsibility for anything IT-related. YOUR VENDOR absorbs all the time, responsibilities, and costs for all of the IT hardware and services related to running the software.
Some BCP vendors do not adhere to this principle. Here are some red flags to help you find the SaaS “pretenders.”