In the IT world, there are two different philosophies when choosing a software solution: SaaS or OnPremise?
Definitions:
SaaS: For Software as a Service, in other words a software solution available online and marketed as a service, i.e. in the form of a subscription. It is also often referred to as "Software in the Cloud".
OnPremise: The software solution is most often sold in the form of a license plus a possible annual maintenance from the editor. The solution is then installed on the customer's premises.
OnPremise: An architecture within the enterprise and at the expense of the enterprise
In the case of an OnPremise software solution, the entire solution is installed at the customer's site.
The customer therefore has control over the entire tool: access to machines, database, application files, ....
The data is therefore located at his place and not at the software publisher or a host chosen by the publisher. This point can, in some contexts, make the difference.
Depending on the solution and the publisher, the customer also has the possibility to customize the software to meet his specific needs. This is particularly the case for ticketing or ITSM solutions.
By having control over its infrastructure, the customer must maintain it in operational conditions: ensure backups, software and OS version upgrades, ensure the supervision of its infrastructure, support the cost of hardware and its renewal, ....
Deployment is often longer and more time-consuming because it requires dedicated infrastructure to be put in place.
SaaS: An outsourced architecture for a fixed cost
Within the framework of a solution in SaaS mode, the whole solution is hosted and maintained by the software publisher. The database can then be specific to each customer (we speak of a unique tenant per customer) or common to all customers.
Upgrades and maintenance are then fixed by the solution provider, often in the least restrictive schedules, but not chosen by the customer.
The recurring cost of the solution is fixed, known and controlled, often depending on the number of users, accesses and resources used ....
Implementation is often very quick and limited to the creation of accounts and the deployment of a few necessary prerequisites.
What about monitoring solutions?
The world of monitoring, like other software, offers SaaS and onPremise solutions, and publishers like Coservit, even offer both solutions to meet customer demands.
In the case of ServiceNav, the maintenance of the OnPremise solution is a real question to ask before making a choice. The SaaS mode of the solution allows to have a turnkey solution, easily deployable, secure and with controlled costs. The regular version upgrades (between 10 and 12 per year) are handled by Coservit outside the 8am-8pm time slot (weekdays) allowing for a high availability of the application.
The time saved in maintaining the solution can then be spent on higher value-added tasks.
The guarantee of data storage in the datacenter of a French host, allows to answer the problems of data confidentiality.
In conclusion
Whether SaaS or OnPremise, each solution has its advantages and disadvantages.
However, the SaaS mode, thanks to its lighter constraints for the customer and a final cost close to or even lower than the OnPremise solution, is becoming the norm for more and more market players.
