Understanding OpenSaaS Solutions

Search in book...
Toggle Font Controls
Create new playlist

Name your new playlist

Playlist description (optional)
Sign In

Email address

Password

Forgot Password?

or

Continue with Facebook

Continue with Google
Sign Up

Full Name

Email address

Confirm Email Address

Password

or

Continue with Facebook

Continue with Google

Understanding OpenSaaS Solutions

The application programs that run as SaaS solutions in the cloud were developed using a specific programming language and were designed to run on a specific operating system using a specific database management system. An OpenSaaS solution is an SaaS application created using an open-source programming language and designed to run on an open-source operating system and database.

Many customers believe that if a solution is open source, it will be easier for them to move the data to a different application in the future if the current solution fails to meet their needs. Because customers do not own the SaaS software, they will not be able to move the application itself.

Customers who are concerned about moving their data in the future should consider an OpenSaaS provider. That said, most SaaS solutions, open source or not, provide a way for customers to export their data if the need arises.

CASE 2-4 WebEx SaaS for Virtual Meetings

To gain market share, a SaaS solution must be disruptive; it must change its industry. The WebEx solution not only changed how and when people meet, it disrupted the travel industry by reducing business trips, hotel stays, and business meals. For years, millions of users relied on WebEx to provide a virtual yet face-to-face meeting platform. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, virtual meetings became the way companies conduct business.

In addition to time saved, a side effect of less travel is the greening of business, which has less impact on the environment.

Beyond holding online meetings, companies use WebEx (and today, other SaaS-based conferencing tools) for the following:

Training webinars for hundreds or thousands of attendees, within the company and beyond
Press conferences
Product sales demonstrations
Remote technical support
And more

FIGURE 2-4 shows a WebEx presentation on cloud computing.

FIGURE 2-4 WebEx leverages the cloud for face-to-face virtual meetings and presentations.

Cloud computing inset image created by Sam Johnston. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

Exercise Assume that your company must invite 500 employees into the corporate office from states across the country (an average airline ticket of $350). Determine the potential company savings by hosting the meeting online.

CASE 2-5 Carbonite SaaS for File Backups

Businesses often rely on a process known as cloud-based colocation to duplicate their company resources at a remote site. If fire, theft, or some other disaster occurs, the business significantly reduces its risk of data loss.

Most user-based computer books tell users that they should perform regular disk and file backup operations. However, because the process is generally time consuming, most users fail to back up their files on a regular basis. Worse yet, users who do perform backups often store the copies within the same facility (home or office) as their computer. The backups face the same risks as the original data.

To provide users and companies with a backup solution, many SaaS providers have emerged to back up user data files to redundant storage facilities that reside within the cloud, as shown in FIGURE 2-5.

FIGURE 2-5 Cloud-based SaaS backup providers store secure copies of user and company files at data storage facilities that reside in the cloud.

The SaaS cloud-based backup systems provide reliable and secure storage. Users simply select the files or folders they want to back up and then schedule when and how often they want the backups to occur. The actual backup operations then happen behind the scenes, automatically.

Exercise Assume your company has 1000 employees. Calculate the potential cost to integrate cloud-based backup operations through Carbonite. Do you have an alternative backup solution?

Understanding Mashups

Many companies need a variety of SaaS solutions. Depending on the various solution providers, the company may create a mashup, a collection of services joined to create an overall solution. FIGURE 2-6 illustrates the concept of a solution mashup.

An illustration shows smaller clouds with a server each representing H R solution, payroll processing, and project management placed in a larger cloud and providing mashup solution to a user. — FIGURE 2-6 A mashup is a collection of services joined to create an overall solution.

Developers categorize mashups as web based or server based. In a web-based mashup, the user’s browser (perhaps via JavaScript) combines the various content sources to create a unified display. In server-based mashups, an application running on a server combines the data.

..................Content has been hidden....................

You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.

Table of Contents for Understanding OpenSaaS Solutions

Create new playlist

Sign In

Sign Up

Understanding OpenSaaS Solutions

Understanding Mashups

Table of Contents for
Understanding OpenSaaS Solutions