by
Jim Pinto
Over a decade ago "The Network is
the Computer" was Sun Microsystems' slogan. Now the concept is emerging with a new
wave of explosive growth.
Cloud Computing is the metaphor for the complex infrastructure
available as a service via the Internet. Software as a Service (SaaS, pronounced
"sass") typically delivers applications through the browser. This could be just
one application (Salesforce.com is by far the best-known example among enterprise
applications) but that is being extended to several desktop applications, and SaaS
is also becoming common for HR and ERP and others.
Utility computing is a form of cloud computing, already
available from Amazon.com, Sun, IBM, Google, Yahoo and others. The original offerings
were storage and virtual servers on demand. But now, they are replacing complete
datacenters, enabling users to stitch together memory, I/O, storage, and computational
capacity as virtualized resource pools available over the Internet.
In the "old" days, huge hunks of software were installed
on individual computers as though they were isolated lumps of hardware. "End User
License Agreements" (EULA) required users to have a fully paid license per computer.
Installation processes, plus regular updates and bug-fixes, were a pain. How many
terabytes of packaged software remain dormant on how many computers?
SaaS applications are licensed for use on demand, removing
the cost and burden of installed software on every computer. This greatly reduces
the ongoing maintenance required for conventional "full" installations, and facilitates
central control of all updates and upgrades.
SaaS shifts the burden of installation and keeping
an application up-and-running from the user to the supplier. Users can leverage
rapid with very little support. Customers benefit from the vendor's latest technological
features, without the disruptions and costs associated with software updates and
upgrades.
SaaS-delivered software enables end-users to deploy
more quickly at a much lower cost - typically 2 to 4 times better than fully installed
EULA alternatives.
SaaS and cloud-computing are being adopted by many
small and large enterprises, including General Electric, and Procter & Gamble.
SaaS is here, and it's the wave of the future.
