Why SaaS? Cloud and the future of content management

The SaaS market is growing rapidly. In fact, it’s estimated that by 2025, 85% of business apps will be SaaS-based. As business models say goodbye to traditional software and adapt to innovations in technology, Software as a service applications have become indispensable to the way modern businesses work. 

These cloud-based apps provide unprecedented flexibility, enable teams to collaborate effectively across the globe, and unburden both IT and marketing teams.

But as SaaS falls into the ever-growing pool of martech buzzwords, it's important to break down the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of a SaaS content management system (CMS), so you can consider the long-term impact a SaaS investment can have on your ability to gain and maintain a competitive edge.

A SaaS solution is a software delivery model that exists entirely in a cloud environment versus on-premises and allows end users to access software applications as long as they have an internet connection. The first known SaaS applications were simple web-based tools such as email, messaging, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and project management software. 

Today, nearly every type of core business function — from human resources to enterprise resource planning — is available via SaaS providers. 

SaaS is one of several cloud computing solutions for business IT issues. Other ‘as-a-Service’ options include:

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) 
• Platform as a Service (PaaS)
• Everything as a service (XaaS)

By comparison, an on-premises CMS is installed in a company’s datacenter, so users can manage your website's content through a web-based interface. While this is the primary difference between SaaS providers and on-premises software solutions, it only scratches the surface in terms of its benefits. 

The scalability and flexibility of the cloud service also equips both small businesses and enterprises with the ability to efficiently manage any volume of content from any location. In the case with Sitecore’s SaaS offering, the solution is headless, freeing up marketers to create content once and deliver it anywhere while also providing back-end developers the freedom to build user experiences with the tools they know and love. 

The right SaaS offers invaluable benefits for your business, your internal teams, and your customers. But both on-premises and SaaS applications have their place. Your unique business requirements and infrastructure needs will inform which route is best for your organization.

Sitecore understands each brand’s needs are unique and are dedicated to maintaining and evolving both our on-premises offering and our SaaS solutions to meet your needs. 

Find out if a SaaS CMS is right for you. Request a custom demo today!