Cloud technologies have created an ideal environment for software as a service (SaaS) to multiply and grow and then develop application development based on SaaS.
We saw examples of how the computer industry tried to implement early forms of what is now known as SaaS applications. The companies provided what were then called Application Service Providers (ASPs). These ASPs will allow users to pay for a specific application or application by subscribing to them and then accessing them through a website. However, ASP has never fully caught on and has often been found to fall short of its promises of low cost, ease of deployment, and ease of upgrades.
However, now, thanks to the scalability and virtualization that cloud computing providers and the growth of IoT for clients, SaaS application development have occurred to create ASP repetitiously. When it comes to evolving SaaS applications, the prices are low, the time expended is much less, and businesses of all sizes can reap the benefits.
What Can SaaS Application Development Offer?
However, just because ASPs are a thing of the past doesn’t mean that every business is taking advantage of the many benefits a SaaS application development platform offers. Of course, with the help of a developer and designer, almost anyone can create an application to meet specific business requirements. However, now that a SaaS application company can provide the same services with better results, helping to save on infrastructure and development effort, this is becoming a vital part of an IT application development strategy.
As mentioned, one of the few benefits of using a SaaS application development platform is saving time and money. There is no need to build infrastructure, backup, and disaster recovery, set up security configurations, install development tools, or create design components and services from scratch. Everything is available out of the box. Also, you don’t need to hire a large team of skilled back-end developers, as most of the services are already provided.
But the benefits don’t end there. Businesses often find greater efficiency, integration, cross-device sellability, usability, and security by using the right SaaS application development tools.
Finding The Right SaaS Application Development Tools
From established platforms that started offering bundled SaaS and then commercialized their underlying platforms to new cloud service solutions, there are many ways to build SaaS applications today. How do you ensure they find the right tools to provide the services their business needs?
From technology to an ecosystem of partners, applications, and components, there are many considerations when choosing the right platform. Here are some of the features that the leading SaaS application development company offers.
Fast and Easy Application Development Tools
From open-source libraries and frameworks that can be used, from the IDE and CLI to model-driven visual development tools, there are many ways to embed a SaaS application. The best SaaS application development platforms provide the following:
- Simple visual prototyping.
- Development of business logic based on models.
- API to integrate your applications with any relevant data.
- Easier testing and analytics.
- Rapid deployment directly to users via web containers or mobile containers.
Depending on preference, the flexibility to build with code or even with little or no code.
Considerations When Hiring a SaaS Development Company
An organization should consider six considerations when hiring a SaaS development company:
1. Multi lease
Multi-tenancy is a type of software architecture in which a single application instance serves multiple clients, allowing developers to use a common infrastructure and codebase to cost-effectively expand their services across clients. The multi-user architecture also makes it easier for developers to maintain the application. However, security is a top priority as multiple tenants share a common infrastructure, putting each other at risk of data loss, misuse, or privacy breaches. A SaaS platform with built-in tenant and data management modules is the best solution.
2. Scalability
While traditional applications limit the number of users, modern SaaS applications with a cloud-hosted application and a database natively scalable to handle the load let an endless numeral of users enter the application. When it comes to SaaS applications, the size of the database continues to increase with an ever-increasing number of users and their transactions, which impacts the performance of the database, resulting in longer transaction times and degraded user experience. A well-designed SaaS application helps you quickly deal with scenarios where multiple users access the same data. Built on the latest technologies and infrastructures, with load-balanced servers and a solid layer between data and application, SaaS applications ensure that back-end data scales separately from the business logic and presentation layers.
3. Security
Security is a critical aspect of a SaaS application, primarily provided by the SaaS application company and cloud infrastructure provider such as Amazon Web Services (AWS). Modern SaaS application architecture ensures that your company’s data is segregated and accessible only to those who need to access it. Data security and integrity are paramount for organizations looking to migrate to SaaS, preventing most businesses from moving to the cloud. The Security-by-Design (SbD) approach to security allows the SaaS application developer to implement a framework that automates security controls so you can enforce security at every level of the IT management process. The SbD approach is not new, but the proliferation of public clouds has made it more meaningful. Recently, AWS has been actively promoting and formalizing the approach for the cloud audience.
4. Integration
A well-built SaaS application integrates easily with other applications through an API. An experienced SaaS application development company ensures that the necessary APIs are in place to integrate with other SaaS or on-premise applications. APIs visible to third-party developers allow them to extend the capabilities of the SaaS platform. The SaaS model seamlessly integrates with CRM and ERP solutions such as Salesforce Sales Cloud, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales, SAP CRM, and Oracle CRM on Demand to improve marketing and customer engagement. However, as a word of caution, while API integration adds value to the SaaS platform, every precaution must be taken to ensure that APIs are not exposed to security risks.
5. Technical alignment with the business model
In some cases, the business model creates technical limitations for the SaaS application, with resource usage being the main issue. The latest SaaS applications allow you to scale resource usage simultaneously (or at a slower pace) with revenue. Another consideration is to support the billing business model. If you bill by a metered rate, your SaaS application accurately reports the basis for that metering.
6. Minimum Downtime
In addition to your internal systems and network teams, your SaaS application development company is responsible for ensuring minimal downtime. While most SaaS application development service providers promise 99% uptime, some even guarantee 99.9% uptime. However, according to numerous reports from IDC, companies experience 12 unplanned application outages yearly.
Here are a few situations that your SaaS application needs to handle to provide uninterrupted services:
- database or application servers are down;
- in the possibility of a loss of a third-party server, only this part of the functionality is lost.
Because downtime costs are prohibitive, organizations need to plan for disaster recovery to mitigate risk. Some Other Measures that Enterprises Must Follow An organization should consider these six considerations when hiring a SaaS development company.
Final thoughts
A well-designed SaaS application is a win-win situation for your business and your application development provider. While the SaaS application model provides many opportunities, these six considerations are elementary for a company to ensure long-term success. A trusted SaaS cloud solution offers security, scalability, ease of use, and economies of scale.
Your privacy is secured and your information will not be shared
