Understanding SaaS Technologies
As most software industry professionals pivot towards offering software-as-a-service products, they are relying on a diverse set of tools, support software, and hardware.
As technology continually evolves and more functionality and time-saving features can be packed into a singular solution, everyone is looking to have a solution cloud-hosted and reduce integration timelines and aims to make sign-up as effortless as possible. When you’re in the business of serving hundreds of thousands of users and storing petabytes of data, you need to understand the kinds of software and hardware that support your service.
In this article, we’ll explore several of the critical technologies that allow SaaS providers to bring their services to the public, and how they implement them at scale to expand their base of customers.
Database Backends
SaaS providers are often tasked with tracking, maintaining, and securing their clients’ data. Even in applications where data is not the primary service offered by a company, they must still manage subscription records, mailing lists, and contact information. For these situations, databases serve as the backbone of a SaaS provider’s business model. Databases come in many shapes and sizes. Some are custom-tailored to a specific environment, while others are built broadly in order to maximize their usefulness across a wide variety of clients. Some of the most commonly used database languages are SQL, IBM DB2, Oracle, MySQL, and Microsoft Access. Databases don’t need to be something overly complex and mathematical.
Web Languages
The very nature of SaaS products is that they’re accessible across a wide variety of devices including desktop computers, phones, and tablets. One of the easiest ways to approach this compatibility challenge is to build significant portions of the app with HTML5 supported by scripting languages like JavaScript. Even with the front end or user-facing elements of the app written with web support in mind, much of the heavy lifting of the software can be coded normally in more heavy-duty languages, such as C++, Java, Python, or PHP. This dualistic nature of design and development is the reason working with talented hybrid developers is important.
Support and Help Desk Software
The operative term in SaaS is ‘service.’ Companies providing large-scale products, in addition to maintaining the core software, rolling out updates, and adding features, must support their clients. Most SaaS providers must provide a dedicated help desk system in order to handle user inquiries, service requests, and general troubleshooting. Rather than creating their own support system from scratch, most companies usually license dedicated middleware which is itself a SaaS product. While there are fees to use such software, the convenience and ease of use are usually worth it for the company. Popular help desk solutions include Zendesk and Team Support.
Developing Your Own SaaS Product
Now that you have a firm grasp of the technologies underpinning modern SaaS products, you understand the value of adaptable and experienced developers. Devising and planning the concept for a successful SaaS app is critical. But its implementation and engineering are what will help differentiate it from others. Our team of experienced hybrid and database developers will help ensure that your SaaS app is built to your exact specifications and that it will scale to your users’ needs. Get in touch with one of our account executives today and find out how we can help you utilize the software-as-a-service model to bring your app idea to market.
