The global SaaS market has been there for a while, up, steady and colossal. The overall Net value of the global SaaS market in 2021 was USD 143.77, and research firms are holding on to the fact that the market will grow at a CAGR of 25.89% from 2022 to 2028 and will reach USD 720.44 billion by 2028.
Understanding Three Cloud Service Models
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): It is a self-service model in which companies manage remote data center infrastructure with virtual computing resources over the internet hosted by a third party such as Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft Azure, etc.
PaaS (Platform as a Service): It includes development tools, infrastructure and other support for building applications. Applications developed in this way are faster to develop, test, and manage. Developers can focus on writing code without worrying about time-consuming IT infrastructures like provisioning servers, storage and backup.
SaaS (Software as a Service): It replaces the traditional software installation with a subscription-based model hosted centrally on the cloud. Example: salesforce.com. SaaS applications differ from instant apps or progressive web apps.
It is one of the three categories of cloud computing – Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Platform as a Service (PaaS).
SaaS is a software distribution model or on-demand software or the web-hosted software that is hosted by a cloud service provider. The cloud is the remote web server in various data centers that host databases and run the application code on web browsers. Accessing SaaS cloud apps to use the service prevents purchasing and installing the apps on the client’s hardware.
SaaS users subscribe to an application instead of purchasing them and they access them over the internet whenever required. The actual application runs on cloud servers. Users can log into and use the SaaS application from any compatible device over the Internet.
P.S Pun Intended: ‘After Apple Air, Amazon Fire, Google Earth, it’s time for Microsoft Water’ 🙂
Making use of the Software Development Model and a regular software installation seems similar to streaming a TV show online and buying all seasons of your TV show on DVD, in that order.
Types of Top SaaS App Businesses
SaaS application is accessible through the web browser. An example is Online email applications that users access through their browsers – Gmail, Office 365, Google Sheet, Google Drive, Google Photos, Google Duo, Google Chat, Google Classroom, Google Earth, Google Collections, Google ads, Google Podcasts, Google One, Google Travel, and Google Forms.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – A CRM tool helps in the efficient management of customer data, tracking all customer interactions, identifying new leads, categorizing them, managing marketing campaigns, offering better customer service, identifying sales opportunities, providing detailed analytics via metrics, automating sales, creating a centralized database, and enhancing customer retention.
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) – It enables businesses to assimilate their operations into one single centralized system software. It makes monitoring easy, improves the overall quality of management, minimizes risks, reduces overhead costs, enhances productivity, improves collaboration between various departments, ensures data security, helps in scaling business operations and allows the business to stay ahead of the competition.
- Email Marketing Software – Such software enables a company to streamline its marketing campaign by advertising at a lower cost, converting leads, and making a potential customer into a permanent customer. It is useful for sending bulk emails to a specific audience, automating the emails, generating analytics, communicating with a global audience, and creating an impact instantly.
- Accounting Software – Such software can help a business to organize, automate, and manage financial transactions. It automates tasks and saves time. It generates accurate reports, reduces errors, syncs up all financial data, is beneficial in filing taxes, and helps in integrating with online banking systems.
- Project Management Software – Such software helps in the planning, scheduling, and allocation of tasks. It helps in scrutinizing each stage of the project with easy documentation and effective communication. Also, it helps in allocating the budget in real time.
Do you require technical expertise to start a SaaS company?
If you have a business idea but lack technical expertise, catch up with SaaS and you might just land up with your first business app.
Why should you choose SaaS over on-premise software?
If you are a startup, or an individual with little to no idea about hosting an application, or maintaining multiple hardware devices, servers and network infrastructure, then seek SaaS solutions as it has an existing platform that the vendor has built, tested, and managed. It does not require several phases of planning, and execution. It is also feasible if your organization does not have enough resources to develop an on-premise solution. It makes it easy to remotely access such applications from any device.
Alternatively, if you are on a budget, implementing SaaS-based software can relieve you from the hassle of installing hardware, maintaining it, disaster recovery, and bug fixing. With SaaS services in-house IT department will need to focus on what they are good at – coding, programming, and supporting the build post-deployment.
Overall, SaaS apps are low on cost, easy to scale, highly compatible, secure, time-saving, and recoverable. Examples of Top SaaS Apps Used Globally – HubSpot, Zendesk, Box, and Notion.
What are the key components for developing SaaS applications?
Frontend
- CSS3, JavaScript, and HTML5
Backend
- Programming LanguagesJava, Python, PHP, C#, and JavaScript
- Frameworks: Django, Flask, Symfony, Laravel
- Server: Google cloud, AWS, Digital Ocean, Microsoft Azure
- Database: MongoDB, MySQL, Redis, and PostgreSQL
DevOps Tools
- Docker, Jenkins, Terraform, Ansible, Kubernetes
Artificial intelligence (AI) & Machine learning (ML)
To support predictive analysis and deliver a better user experience. It helps in understanding customer mindset, and purchase history, and prevents customers from cancelling their subscriptions. Examples: Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure provide such services.
What steps do you need to follow?
Buckle up, here it goes:
- Create a Project Plan: SaaS development agencies start with Product Discovery and Road mapping sessions. It includes tracing the target audience, identifying problem areas, checking on the competition and adopting the latest trends.
- Finalize the Project Requirements: Then freeze the project requirements with the goals to achieve and the bottlenecks to address.
- Create the User Interface Design: SaaS applications work both on desktops as well as on mobile devices. Build the design on various resolutions and math it with screen sizes, and devices.
- Start Coding: Pick technologies according to the trends, and availability of skilled resources. Support the features, design and requirements with the right tools to boost the efficiency of the product.
How much does it cost to develop a SaaS app?
A gamut of factors like the developer’s geographic location, the type of product to be built, the features, technology and complexity of the project and any integrations with legacy applications must be considered while developing a SaaS App. Additionally, a minimum viable product (MVP) must be created first before sketching a fully integrated SaaS App.
Definitive: From where to begin?
SaaS services are directly related to marketing, sales, and customer success. Top SaaS development companies live and die on revenue growth. Once the service is ready, there is very less scope to scale. If you are unable to scale your SaaS app, then it creates a huge gap between massive success and mediocrity. The stakes are high, and it, therefore, becomes crucial to bring in the sales team and process that works across all customer relationships.
