What Is Storage As A Service?

Whether you're a small business or a large enterprise, data storage is crucial to your success. After all, data is the lifeblood of any organization. It's what you use to make decisions, track progress, and keep customers happy.

Storing data can be expensive and time-consuming, however, which is why many businesses are turning to storage as a service. Storage as a Service (or Storage-as-a-Service) has become increasingly popular in information technology businesses over the past few years.

Many companies want to expand their data storage capabilities, but do not have the resources to do so. However, cloud-based storage solutions like Storage as a Service (or SaaS) can be the perfect solution.

In this article, we’ll take a look at what SaaS is and how it can help your business.

What’s SaaS?

Storage as a service (SaaS) is a premium service approach in which users, for instance, businesses rent cloud storage from a third-party vendor and utilize it to archive digital data.

Clients and small businesses frequently use cloud storage, but cloud service vendors can also collaborate with medium-sized firms and large organizations.

Businesses that use the SaaS strategy can store and back up large quantities of information in numerous forms, as well as retrieve information when the need arises.

Some SaaS vendors include additional features such as database as a service, which allows enterprises to create data tables utilizing provider resources.

Examples of SaaS Applications

To help you understand the spectrum of SaaS, here are some examples of SaaS applications:

SaaS can be utilized for any uses that require file storage. For instance, a firm may utilize a magnetic tape recorder to store critical but infrequently accessible data (cold data). This magnetic tape library is then kept in the premises or sent to a safe place. Data can be transported and stored securely without the headache of handling magnetic tape machines by adopting SaaS services. Data can be accessible whenever it is required.

SaaS can also be used by organizations for business software product development. High-capacity data storage is occasionally required for software development, however it is only used momentarily.

SaaS allows software developers to access large-capacity data storage devices simply and quickly.

Advantages of SaaS Over On-premise Storage

SaaS can provide your business with several advantages over on-premise storage solutions.

●       Increased collaboration - When files are stored in the cloud, they can be accessed by anyone with the proper permissions from any location. This makes it easy for team members to collaborate on projects, regardless of their location.

●       Accessibility - Cloud-based storage allows you to work from anywhere with an internet connection and provides 24/7 access to your data, which isn't always possible when working from your home office or other remote locations. 

●      Advanced Security - Storing data remotely means that only authorized users have access to sensitive information like company financials or customer records.

●       Cost-efficient - SaaS is more cost-effective since you only pay for the storage you require or use.

●      Scalability - SaaS allows for easy expansion and growth of a business since you can easily increase or decrease your storage usage as needed.

●      Reliable - SaaS is more reliable since it's hosted off-site by a third-party provider.

●      Disaster recovery - Many SaaS providers offer disaster recovery services which are useful when things go wrong.

Disadvantages Compared to Alternatives

Although storage as a service has many advantages that outweigh any drawbacks, there are a few disadvantages to consider before signing up for a subscription.

●      Data control - You'll likely have less control over your data since it will be stored off-site.

●      Potential for data loss – If your subscription lapses or is canceled, you may lose access to your data.

●      Possible vendor lock-in – You are likely to stick with one SaaS vendor/provider since transferring all your data may not be practical due to the bulk.

●      Downtimes - Your business may experience periods of interruption during which the service is unavailable and may be problematic for mission-critical data.

●      Data safety - The security of your data may be less than ideal since it will be stored on someone else's servers.

Examples of SaaS providers

SaaS providers offer businesses a subscription-based model for accessing and using software. This can be a more cost-effective solution than traditional on-premise software, which requires an upfront investment.

Plus, SaaS providers often offer additional features and services that can help businesses optimize their use of the software.

Some popular SaaS providers include:

●      Salesforce

●      Google Cloud

●      Dropbox

●      Microsoft Azure

●      Box

Choosing the Best SaaS Vendor

SaaS vendors out there are quite a number hence choosing one may be difficult. Here are some of the popular considerations before choosing a SaaS provider:

●      Provider reputation – If your peers have tried a certain vendor and they tell you that a provider’s downtime or services are optimized, this can be a great start. Reviews are often an expression of people’s experiences.

●      Security measures for your data – Research deeply into the firm’s security measures and ethical policies to ensure they satisfy your data safety requirements.

●      Exit options offered by a provider – Do not go for a vendor that will lock you in without any exit options. Your organization may expand and so will your storage requirements.

●      Vendor service level agreement – This is basically the vendor’s terms of service and features offered by the vendor.

●      Disaster recovery – Ask about how the provider would recover your data in the event of a hack, theft, human/hardware failure etc.

Final Word

With the growing demands for cost-effective high-volume data storage, data safety, and backup, it's simple to understand why so many companies are turning to cloud-based SaaS solutions.

SaaS offers most Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) a versatile and cost-effective option to manage data storage. Firms that use SaaS can save significantly on costs by eliminating the need to purchase expensive hardware and pay experts with data storage skills. When combined with storage management software, this can save you a significant amount of time and resources.