Difference between Saas and Cloud Computing
In this existing world of the internet and technology, managing a project effectively has become a cakewalk. Managing one or multiple projects becomes easier if the required information and updates related to the project are available all the time even if the team is working from different geographical locations. Implementing the best project management tools is the key to required collaboration and communication required to achieve the project goals.
Choosing the right software is critical. Based on the organization or size of the project, one can choose between SaaS (Software as a Service) or a cloud-based application. For you to understand which type of application is appropriate, you need to know the difference between them.
Though, both the terms are normally used with reference to each other, they are not the same. In simple words, one can say that Saas is a type of cloud computing with its limitations. In other words, SaaS is the subset of cloud computing. Having said that, all the SaaS models are not built in the cloud. SaaS is much older than cloud computing in terms of age. Saas originally was referred to as a “time-sharing system”, much before the internet services started.
For better understanding, let's understand each one of them separately.
What Is a SaaS-Based Application?
Most of the Saas based application software is accessed online by taking the subscription (monthly/quarterly/annually) of the application software. The required application is not present on your system or intranet. The application runs on the vendor’s infrastructure.
With SaaS, the data of your project is stored at the vendor’s location and you can access the same only by logging into the network of the service provider. The data might not stay very secure and the service provider has the access to all the information of your data.
Saas based applications cost you way less than cloud services. Some of the commonly used examples of Saas services are Google Docs, Yahoo mail, SurveyMonkey, etc. SaaS is often better suited for smaller organizations.
What Is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is rapidly becoming a norm for all modern businesses. It has the benefit over SaaS-based applications as the cloud includes the SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) application as well.
This also requires internet services. The user can benefit from the applications available on the cloud/internet. The software is not required to be installed on every system thus does not require maintenance and up-gradation. This is taken care of by the service provider on a regular basis. This also gives you the flexibility of accessing your data from anywhere, be it from the office, home or airport and from any device like a desktop computer, phone, PC, etc. You just need a WiFi/Internet connection and login credentials to get the update of the project status.
Through cloud-based services, data sharing is much faster and more effective. As the data is stored on the cloud, IaaS provides you with the solution of not requiring an infrastructure of your own. PaaS includes the framework and components to run the application on the cloud.
Cloud-based services can deliver to very large organizations with their presence across various geographical locations. For larger organizations, the cloud-based services work more effectively as the payment model is such that you pay only for the services you are using. They prove to be more sustainable services.
Conclusion:
Though one can say that both the applications are similar, the primary difference is that SaaS only offers fully formed end-user applications whereas cloud computing additionally provides infrastructural and platform-based services along with the software.
