Cloud Computing – SaaS Introduction (Software As A Service)

Interacting with SaaS

• Direct Interaction – By going to the SaaS website or using their native app you can use their service
• Client Applications – Third party Native applications that can communicate with the SaaS such as Outlook.
• Integrated Partners – Other SaaS companies that integrate with the SaaS such as Quickbooks, or MailChimp to expand on the feature set
• API’s – API’s allow you to code your own solutions that can communicate with SaaS provider

API’s Considerations

• Languages – API’s require you to use specific languages to communicate with them
• Costs – cost scales with use, but can become astronomical.
• Limits – API’s generally have limits on usage which can be confusing to fully understand.

Legal Compliance

• Data Location – Many countries now require their citizens data to be stored on servers with their country. Some SaaS providers allow you to specify where data is stored.
• PCI/ HIPPA – Laws regarding how credit card and health information stipulate specific ways this data must be stored. Compliant SaaS providers follow these standards.

Data Portability

• Data Portability allows you to export your data from SaaS solutions.
• Just because you can export your data does not mean the data will be in a format you know how to use.