When people think of software solutions, they're thinking of websites, mobile applications and desktop applications, there is however a myriad of ways we can describe software solutions based on the purpose of the software and the target market. There are startups that create software solutions in a bid to address a particular need in the market, these startups go on to a class of software solutions that we call "Software as a Service" (SaaS). These are wholly dependent on cloud computing (which is something I'll discuss tomorrow).

SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE BASICALLY RUN ON A SUBSCRIPTION MODEL

SaaS are on-demand software solutions that typically run on a subscription model, you pay to use them and such payment spans a period of time and can be done daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly as the case may be. They can be web-based, desktop or mobile platforms. By now you're starting to think of a couple of popular digital infrastructures that you patronize frequently. Examples of SaaS are Netflix, Slack, Canva, Salesforce, Dropbox, Google Apps, Zoom, etc. The rule of thumb is that if you have to subscribe to it then it's most likely a SaaS.

You're probably wondering why some platforms you use for free are considered SaaS. The thing about SaaS is that they can also leverage marketing models like the freemium model (which a lot of software startups use to quickly acquire users). These platforms while offering a free offer to the public will require you to pay to access the full features of the platform or have a pricing structure that gives you access according to how much you're paying. As you engage with software solutions, it can be a fun exercise to try to categorize the software solution; SaaS or not?