SaaS, or Software as a Service, isn’t a new concept, but it’s one that has gained a lot of traction in the past nine to 12 months. The most common example of a SaaS solution is hosted email. Instead of buying Microsoft Exchange server licenses and client access licenses (CALs) in the form of perpetual licenses, businesses can easily subscribe to Microsoft’s Office 365 hosted email service instead.

The basic Office 365 plan includes access to email, instant messaging and video conferencing, but more advanced plans also include a subscription to Microsoft Office, which is used by about 1.2 billion people worldwide. The subscription allows you to run Office on up to five different devices (think work PC, home computers, tablets, phones) and access the applications online in a web browser (for times when you may be using a public computer without Office). That way, you’ll always be able to use the latest versions of Office and Exchange.

The Office 365 subscription service can be a great solution, but it’s not for everyone. If you have enough users and a good IT consultant or on-site IT staff, it may be less expensive to maintain systems like email on site. And if you don’t currently upgrade Microsoft Office each time it comes out, or if you don’t always need the latest and greatest version, then this SaaS solution may not be of benefit to you.

Take a close look at the features of whatever SaaS solution you’re considering before you decide to subscribe. You’ll want to make sure it offers all the same features as the software you’re currently running.

As always, if you have software (or subscription service) question or concern, give us a call at (804) 918-7815 or send us an email. We’re standing by, ready to help.