LMS Tips: Software as a Service (SaaS) - use select software as needed

 

 

Shift Your Technology Paradigm with a SaaS Solution

September 2011

 

Learning Management System

 

 

Software as a Service (SaaS) is considered a low-cost way for businesses to obtain rights to use select software as needed versus licensing the software. Commonly referred to as “service on demand,” SaaS enables the benefits of commercially licensed software use without the complexity and initial cost of purchase, hosting and maintenance.

 

SaaS achieves efficiencies by enabling on-demand software licensing and management of functionality, information and output, independent of the hardware location. The software vendor hosts the application on their web server and creates a private, secure environment for the customer with remote access, or downloads the application to the customer device, maintaining control over the use. In either case, access is correlated to service dates and contract terms.

 

The  “Login & Go” subscription service provides a private, secure and fully-functional SaaS application of the FlexTraining Learning Management System.

 

How can SaaS benefit you?

 

• Provides network-based access to, and management of, commercially available software.
• Manages activities from a central location rather than at each customer's site, enabling remote customer access via the web.
• Pricing structure reflects hosted application for a targeted number of users, significantly reducing traditional licensing costs.
• Centralizes feature updating, obviating the need for end-users to download patches and upgrades.

 

Controlling Costs

 

Typically, on-demand service alleviates the customer's need to equip their server with every conceivable application as the software is fully-equipped with its unique features. It also reduces traditional software maintenance, ongoing operation patches and developmental upgrades, thereby reducing or eliminating these variable costs. Thus, service on-demand allows the software to become a fixed expense rather than an unexpected, variable expense.

 

SaaS enables you to focus spending on the amount of software for the specified number of users.

 

Using SaaS can reduce the up-front expense of software purchases through less costly, hosted service pricing by providers. On-demand service may also reduce a customer’s investment in server hardware or facilitate a shift in server use.

 

If licensing fees or server limitations are keeping you from enhancing your business processes, SaaS may be the low-cost, practical solution to introducing new software. Service on-demand will open the door to new technology, simplify your operational efforts and save you money.