The Architecture of Software-as-a-Service
Software-as-a-Service (commonly abbreviated as SaaS) is a cloud-based software delivery model. It is often categorized alongside Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service as a primary tier of Cloud Computing. This model represents a significant shift from traditional On-premise software, as applications are hosted by a provider and made available over the Internet. Leading organizations like Salesforce pioneered this approach to enhance Scalability. Detailed definitions are provided by IBM on their SaaS overview page.
Core Characteristics and Advantages
A defining feature of SaaS is its Multi-tenant Architecture, which allows multiple customers to share a single version of the software application. This ensures that updates and security patches are applied globally by the provider, such as Microsoft or Adobe. Users typically access these services via Web Browsers, which facilitates the <