The days when companies had to invest in on-premise infrastructure to reap the benefits of software like CRM, business analytics, and even automation are gone, and many opportunities are open for organisations worldwide.
The rise of technology and software designed for companies made it possible to bring all the operations of the business offsite through Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) products. Small, medium and large businesses can now benefit from applications that can help them grow rapidly without breaking the bank.
Just like any business in the 21st century, Saas, PaaS and IaaS companies are undergoing huge changes. These apps have quickly evolved from simple cloud features to immersive platforms that offer advanced features and are an excellent choice for small companies and large enterprises alike.
Migrating from Saas to PaaS
While some businesses share some common operations, each company is unique. And since businesses are globally moving to the cloud, their needs are changing. This results in need for custom applications that will meet specific requirements and business needs. And this is where PaaS comes into the picture.
SaaS offers organisations quick and effective service. However, some of them usually come with features that are developed to work out of the box, meaning customisation is limited if it exists at all. In contrast, PaaS allows businesses to develop custom applications located on the cloud.
Data-Driven SaaS Through Centralised Analytics
Alongside the speed of digital transformation across industries, companies of all sizes turn to data to use their operations, aiming to better understand their customers and their buying patterns. That is why SaaS organisations now need to power up their operations with analytics-driven tools. SaaS providers have already noticed this opportunity and are releasing robust business intelligence (BI) tools that come with their platforms.
For instance, the largest marketplace Amazon Web Services, has started to provide cloud-native and serverless BI services. The company launched its Amazon QuickSight in 2020, which has quickly become a powerful BI platform allowing companies to understand data via querying in natural language.
AI Will Become a Standard SaaS Feature
Artificial Intelligence is the hottest trend in various industries, and SaaS business isn’t an exception. This technology has quickly become a standard feature rather than an extra option, and users are looking for businesses offering AI-powered tools and services.
SaaS companies are now able to leverage the power of autonomous innovations to improve product, service, as well as content customisation while also covering users’ needs through data-driven decisions. Thanks to the return from the analysis and cost-efficiency offered by AI, SaaS organisations can scale their business much easier and become intelligent while spending less money.
Tools for Better Finance Management
Alongside tools and apps developed for people’s personal lives, Saas companies can now also benefit from a vast range of tools that they can use to power up the company. There are applications for finance management, allowing companies to track inside and outside purchases for accurate reports and data-driven decisions. In addition, companies can organise SaaS negotiation in an easy, fast and convenient way. Some tools also improve the processes within the organisation, reducing the load on employees.
Machine Learning Evolves Into MLaaS
Just like Artificial Intelligence, machine learning (ML) is also gaining immense popularity across sectors. And that is for a good reason – it has already empowered SaaS solutions to become more anonymous and self-improving. ML in Saas leads to better operations efficiency and intelligence. While ML is becoming an essential part of AI-based SaaS business, organisations are beginning to require better training control for their software. That is why the tech market now offers Machine-Learning-as-a-Service (MLaaS).
The most common features offered by MLaaS companies include data pre-processing, facial recognition, data visualisation, natural language processing (NLP), chatGPT, predictive analytics, as well as deep learning. Some of the most popular MLaaS providers today are IBM Watson Studio and Google’s AI and ML products.
SaaS for Remote & Hybrid Work Is Here to Stay
Thanks to the lockdown and restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, work conditions have quickly changed worldwide. Not only have working conditions changed, but also employees’ expectations regarding the companies they want to work in. People are looking for better work-life balance and greater flexibility in terms of when and where they work. Reports say that 73% of full-time workers in the United States worked remotely in 2019, and many continue to do so.
APIs Are Making Digital Transformation Easier
The global pandemic and changed market conditions have boosted the need for digital transformation. That is why now the company’s ability to package its assets and products into easy-to-reuse software modules has become critical to digital transformation.
Computer systems already hold a wealth of useful information for every business worldwide. However, using all the potential offered requires repurposing it while combining it with the valuable assets of collaborators and third parties. That is where Application programming interfaces (also known as APIs) offer the required synergy and integration of digital assets from previously independent systems.
Increasing Security Concerns
Even though SaaS security is now a huge concern, digital security overall experiences lots of changes thanks to digitalisation. Thanks to the fact that hackers are now using AI and ML to penetrate the company’s operational systems and people sharing their lives online, it is tough for SaaS organisations to have a strong security posture.
Final Thoughts
The SaaS business is here to stay for many years and is going to be powered by lots of technologies. The tools and apps designed for the market will continue to be in high demand as long as businesses enter new industries and attract customers. In addition, both companies and employees are rethinking the working conditions, which also aids changes in the market. Here we collected the top software trends that can change the SaaS industry in 2023.