SaaS E-Book Review

The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of

Software as a Service (Saas)

by Noel Jerke  (Author)
Format: Kindle Edition

Software as a Service (SaaS) can be defined as a model of software delivery that is generally based on a subscription. It is externally hosted and available via the cloud network of the developer. If any person wishes to use Software as a Service, they will have to pay for it in the form of routine subscriptions. As it is a returning customer business model, the demand for Software as a Service has increased exponentially over the past few years. Most of the software that people use is somehow related to or is a part of the Software as a Service model. Few of the top developers in this model include Adobe, Shopify, Salesforce, Microsoft, and Google Workspace as well.  

As a software delivery network and business model, SaaS is quite interesting. However, one has to learn the core functions and their related aspects to be a part of it. With different types of tricks and guidelines about the entire subject, anyone can make up a good fortune with it as well. The following eBook about SaaS is a complete guide and assists the readers in learning about SaaS right from the scratch. It begins with the basic knowledge about SaaS and goes up to the technical one with all of it being described in a reader-friendly and non-technical way. 

Main Themes of the Book

The book is well-structured in the form of multiple questions. Each chapter answers a key question about SaaS that the readers might be having. The six important themes discussed in this eBook include What is SaaS, History, Present, and Future of SaaS, Who are the Key Players in the SaaS industry, Where are SaaS applications used, Benefits and Drawbacks of Saas, and How the SaaS market works. 

As the book is written in the form of potential questions regarding SaaS, it becomes easy for the readers to understand and comprehend it with regard to the specific questions. Besides, it also allows for easy navigation throughout the book. The readers can instantly go to a certain part based on what question they have in mind.   

Readability Aspect of the Book

An important aspect to consider when reviewing and reading a book is how well it engages the reader as well as how easy it is for the readers to understand the content. If a book is well-written, even a complicated subject can be explained well to the readers but if a book does not carry the right readability aspect, it will even make an easy thing difficult to understand. 

As far as the readability point of this eBook is concerned, it has been written in a very reader-friendly tone. This means that you don’t have to be an expert in SaaS to understand the information provided. Even some of the technical aspects such as the architecture of SaaS, types of SaaS applications, and advanced modules are explained in a way that the readers don’t find them stuck at some point. The sentences aren’t vague, rather they are explanatory and provide proper explanation to the readers. From the reader’s point of view, this makes the book quite engaging and the reader does not feel the need to put it away on account of difficulty. 

“Multi-tenant SaaS apps refer to apps that are shared between many users who use a single instance and supporting information. Since the app and database are shared, there isn’t much room for customization and significant changes. However, multi-tenant apps have their own advantages including lower costs, efficient use of resources, less maintenance costs, larger computing capacity, and shared data centers.”

– eBook Excerpt

Besides, the language and tone are also very basic. No jargon or technical terms are used in this book on SaaS. Even if they are used, such as single-tenant and multi-tenant SaaS, these terms are properly explained. 

With small paragraphs, multiple headings, and subheadings, the entire book comes as a properly structured one. 

Credibility of the Book 

A keyboard with the words “Big Data”

One of the most important concerns any reader could have about a book is whether or not it is a credible one. Readers would want more validated, reliable, and accurate information and this is what marks a book highly credible as well. Upon reviewing this book, it turns out to be quite a credible one. 

Firstly, there is the use of multiple references and sources of information. These are listed at the end of the book. Throughout the text, the author has used references from multiple credible sources and studies conducted concerning SaaS. The information is backed by solid research. 

“According to a study published by BrightLocal, over 90 percent of people (18-34 years old) trust online reviews and think of them as personal recommendations”.

– eBook Excerpt

Secondly, the writer has written the book by including numerical data, research evidence, and theoretical ideas along with real-life examples. The use of numerical data actually proves the impact of SaaS in numerous ways. With the use of research, the point and interpretation made by the writer are validated. The most important part is that the writer has incorporated real-life examples. This justifies the point made by the writer as well as gives a better understanding to someone who cannot understand just basic concepts. 

“For example, a retail business that wants to launch an ecommerce store or businesses that need an easy-to-use and affordable collaboration tool. SaaS is also recommended if you don’t need to use apps too often like the tax software or need apps that support mobile access.”

eBook Excerpt

Chapter 1 – What?

An Application

In this chapter, the writer talks about the basics of Software as a Service and provides an overview of what this technology is. A few examples are also mentioned over here to provide an idea about market value. It talks about several types of SaaS, pricing models, SaaS applications, SaaS architecture, SLA, and the link between SaaS and modern businesses. This chapter is all about giving an idea to the writer of what SaaS is and how this technology is being used these days. It talks about basic knowledge and concepts regarding SaaS which are going to be helpful for the reader in the latter part of the book. This writer ensures that after reading this chapter, the readers are having a clear idea in their mind about “What SaaS is?”. 

Chapter 2 – When?

If you always had questions about the existence of SaaS technology or its future of it, this chapter will provide the answers to all questions. The writer has themed this chapter on History, Current, and Future Trends associated with SaaS. A few other books on the same topic begin from a timeline way back which makes it a bit irrelevant. However, the writer has only covered a small section on the pre-SaaS period while the rest of the chapter is directed towards how Saas emerged as a great technology for various industries. This makes it highly relevant to the precise history of SaaS and focuses on the current aspect as well as the future of SaaS. The readers are aware of all the three aspects of SaaS and the timeframe, appropriately. 

“It transformed itself into a pure SaaS business and started selling its software over the internet, which expanded its market to everyone on the globe. The result was $600 million in annual revenue in 2014 (after 13 years). SAP bought Concur later that year for $8.3 billion, which is considered to be history’s largest SaaS acquisition.”

– eBook Excerpt

Chapter 3 and 4 – The Big Players

The various applications developed by AdobeThe third chapter is titled “Who?” and is directed toward the major players working in the field of SaaS. The writer has described these leading players, their key services and softwares, as well as the market size that they have captured by continuously improving their services and expanding their portfolio. This chapter discusses Adobe, Shopify, Salesforce, Oracle, Intuit, SAP, Zoom, Autodesk, Square, and a few other leading players in the industry. The writer has also talked about the impact that these companies as well as their SaaS applications have been making in the case hardware and service sectors. 

The fourth chapter of this book is titled “Where” and defines the extent to which the big players are using their SaaS applications. This chapter discusses the various modules of SaaS applications and how well have they been performing in the market. Some of the modules discussed by the writer include Human Resources, Finance, B2B vs B2C, Horizontal and Vertical SaaS, Communication and Collaboration, Enterprise Resource Planning, and others as well. 

“Adobe is well past the days of selling on-premises software and started moving to the cloud in 2007. The company replaced its Creative Suite (one-time license) with Creative Cloud Suite (subscription-based) in 2013. As a result, by 2017, subscriptions amounted for 86 percent of the total revenue, clearly indicating its future direction.”

– eBook Excerpt

Other Chapters of the Book

The other chapters in this book are also quite intriguing and interesting. Chapter 5 talks about the various types of benefits and drawbacks of SaaS technology. This gives the readers a much clearer idea about the technology and provides insights on whether it is a useful field to learn and enter further or not. Chapter 5 discusses these benefits and drawbacks in a detailed way such that there is no ambiguity and the reader gets a clear picture of what SaaS technology is in terms of benefits and drawbacks. 

On the other hand, Chapter 6 of this eBook is based on How SaaS application developers work. The entire process is thoroughly explained by the writer so that not only readers are aware of the SaaS technology but are also able to maximize the benefits when they are signing up for any kind of subscription service for SaaS technology. A few of the most important things the writer has talked about in the last chapter of this book include SaaS Pricing Models, SaaS marketing strategy, SaaS Competition, SaaS target audience, and Important Things to Consider When Signing up for a SaaS application. As a result of this, the readers are having a clear picture of the technology by the time they are done reading the book. 

Another great part about this final chapter of the book is that it discusses several types of myths and misconceptions about SaaS technology. One of the main reasons why this book should be read is because of this particular section as it has a pretty useful analysis of the various types of myths and misconceptions.  

“Many believe that SaaS and cloud computing is threatening the livelihoods of IT professionals. However, SaaS actually rescues them from mundane daily tasks and hassles related to managing traditional software and underlying infrastructure”.

– eBook Excerpt

You can buy this book from Amazon.com directly.

Overview of the Book

Software success

Upon reading the entire book, here are a few comments that can be deduced. 

  • The eBook on SaaS is a well-structured and defined one. Each section provides answers to possible questions about SaaS that the reader might have earlier. The sectional division also makes it easy to navigate. 
  • The eBook on SaaS is quite a detailed one. It takes into account a wide aspect of the topic with the information being explanatory and backed by examples as well as research. The book does not become irrelevant with the detail but rather provides useful insights and detailed analysis of various concepts surrounding the SaaS technology. 
  • This book has been written in a neutral and reader-friendly tone. In terms of neutrality, the book does not appear to be persuasive towards the usage of SaaS. It just leaves the decision to the readers by providing a thorough analysis and a coherent discussion on the topic. The language used by the writer is quite easy to understand. 
  • One of the elements missing in this eBook is the pictorial illustrations and charts. While these may not be necessary for a book based on specific software technology, it still becomes important as many people find it easier to understand various concepts with pictorial illustrations, graphs, and charts.

Research 10 predicts the healthcare cloud computing market to generate $61 billion by 2025, which is an impressive CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 18.7 percent (2019-2025).

eBook Excerpt.

Conclusion

If you have no knowledge about SaaS and want to learn more about it from scratch, this eBook is going to be one of the best ones. By the time you are done reading it, you will have a much better concept of SaaS, its technical aspects, various forms of using SaaS, and overall detailed knowledge about the topic.