hackalive Posted August 28, 2011 Share Posted August 28, 2011 I am trying to compile three clear definitions, one each for Software As A Product, Software As A Service and Cloud Software (Applications). I need to clearly define what each is. If anyone can help or guide me in the right direction with a X vs Y vs Z statement that would be very much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizmola Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Software as a product - It's a product that you buy. You have to provide the hardware to run it, and install and configure it. Software as a service - You pay for a service that provides you access to the software as if you were using it, but without you having to install, maintain or host the software Cloud Software - In general, "The Cloud" is a service that you access via the internet. It is similar to SaaS in that the hardware it runs on is not owned or maintained by you. You access it via the internet. There's no real distinction between SaaS and "Cloud Software", although often "Cloud" services refer specifically to storage. For example, there are many cloud services that store files and allow you to access them from various devices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackalive Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 So if I really wanted to define SaaS vs Cloud, could I say SaaS - dedicated to you Cloud - shared or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizmola Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 No, SaaS is not dedicated to you, it's a service that you and possibly many other customers are paying to use. Since it's a service your license to it is typically different than the license you get when you buy software. Otherwise, there is no real difference between Cloud and SaaS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackalive Posted August 29, 2011 Author Share Posted August 29, 2011 so a good clear definition for SaaS vs Cloud is? or should it be SasS, Cloud/Web Based? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizmola Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 I guess the way I wrote that last reply, there could be some confusion. The way you originally phrased the question, "Cloud Software (Applications)", there isn't any difference between SaaS and "Cloud Software". SaaS runs in "the cloud". The Cloud is just a buzzword that has no set meaning. When people talk about "the Cloud" it can mean a lot of different things. If you really want to try and find a distinction, I guess you could say that "Cloud Software" is software that stores its data "somewhere else" using the internet. But as I pointed out earlier, so does SaaS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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