Software as a service, or SaaS as it’s more commonly known, is more than just a license delivery model and a way for cybersecurity teams to pay for critical cybersecurity software – it has real benefits for the customer.
In a SaaS distribution model, the software is hosted by the software service provider and is available to customers under license – instead of outright purchasing the software. This has become a common way for developers and software providers to supply their services, with companies like Dropbox, Google Workspace, OpenShift, Cisco WebEx, Salesforce, SAP Concur, etc., making use of this type of service provision. Sometimes referred to as “on-demand software,” customers receive an ongoing restricted license to use the software instead of directly owning a single version of the software.
Straight-forward benefits
Maintenance: Security teams are busy. In the past, with directly purchased and locally hosted software, organizations (and their highly active security teams) have been responsible for maintaining, updating, and patching the software on the network – on-premises, in the cloud, or hybrid – and for time-consuming traditional software deployment. That isn’t an issue with SaaS, where the provider manages all your software updates and upgrades for you, removing complexity and making sure that busy organizations consistently have the most up-to-date and security-ready versions of software needed in a fast-changing cloud environment.
Costs: Unlike traditional and self-hosted software, there are no hefty up-front charges with SaaS. Costs are spread over a budget cycle and this makes it far more accessible to businesses and teams of varying sizes and budgets, meaning (as in the case with Imperva) an enterprise-grade security offering is available for everyone. Cost savings also come into play by SaaS reducing team maintenance responsibilities and having the added advantage of you only paying for what you need.
Flexibility: When business requirements change, their level of subscription can change. SaaS is customizable to a team’s needs and can scale as required, simply and quickly, meaning companies avoid unnecessary expenses by only paying for what they use. If expansion is required, the solution is immediately available. Should fewer seats or less server coverage be needed, not a problem.
Premium service: SaaS can be reactive and is easily updated by the provider. If an update is needed – perhaps due to an evolving security concern or a development in the security landscape – we’re there for our customers and can react accordingly. SaaS is a highly resilient solution that helps organizations constantly access the most secure, up-to-date versions of their important software, without the need to maintain, install, or update it. The best service possible is there automatically.
Are there any disadvantages? Honestly, no, not with the Imperva SaaS solution. It has all the advantages listed above – plus drives a clearer understanding of where cloud data is stored through consistent and actionable data mapping and interaction appraisal. Our Cloud Data Security (CDS) is a cloud-native, affordable database as a service (DBaaS) solution that supports the most popular managed database types available in Microsoft Azure, Amazon RDS, and Amazon Redshift. Additionally, Imperva CDS uses machine learning and anomaly detection to automate analytics and insights for busy security teams.
If you’d like to know more, please get in touch. We’re here to offer any help and advice you may need on your cloud protection journey with affordable and flexible SaaS solutions for everyone.
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