Common Examples of Software As a Service
Software as a service is also known as on demand software; these are pieces of computer software that are accessed remotely through connected servers. Software like this is either free of charge or subscription-based, eliminating the hassle of purchasing software. The first pieces of software as a service were used in web development, but modern on demand software is used for processing taxes, gaming and word processing. Using softwrae in the cloud offers consumers and developers tremendous advantages, such as faster availability and better marketing potential.
The most common characteristic of most software as a service is its remote access. Most programs can be accessed anywhere there's an Internet connection; this is cloud computing, where the user's machine functions as a terminal for software and information access. For the user, there's no software to install, and there's less worry that their computer will be insufficient to run the program. Developers also benefit because users encounter fewer problems when using the product, and the supply chain is mostly bypassed.
Most early examples of software as a service were subscription based; they started appearing in the late 1990s. One of the oldest examples was a site builder that could be accessed from any PC with an Internet connection; other applications managed network infrastructure and provided the basis for what we know today as cloud computing. Today's software as a service works for so much more than just enterprise and business. Other monetization methods have arisen; most software as a service programs are ad-supported (the ads allow the user free access to the software).
Software as a service gave rise to the server-based gaming niche. Here, popular video games are run on a server, and AV output is sent to the user, who views it just as they would any other video source. The multimedia stream is displayed client-side, and keyboard and mouse input are transmitted. The on-demand service allows any PC, regardless of how powerful it is, to function as a terminal, and unlike most other software as a service, server-based gaming is subscription-based.