5. Who owns my data?
Most businesses fear that if their data is hosted on the servers of the software vendor, than the vendor owns their data and can do whatever he wants with it. While this really is something to fear of, you can make sure your data won't be used by other people by disclosing it with the vendor in a service level agreement. You can set parameters for data usage, security, maintenance etc.
But on the question - in the SLA you can disclose that you own all the data that comes out of your company. Most vendors will make sure you own your data even if something happens with their company and that you have option for back-up;
6. Is it safe?
One of the biggest problems for companies, when it comes to SaaS, is the security. It is, of course, a critical consideration, since you let your important business data being handled by a third-party company. What if their servers burn out or something? Well, servers can burn out no matter where they are - in your company or in the vendors'. However, SaaS vendors invest a lot more in security than other companies, so a web-based system will have a lot more security measures than the on-premise system. Also, they undergo special security audits that test the levels of security, just in case;
7. What if the SaaS vendor goes out of business?
In the world of software and internet business vendors come and go, so this concern is quite legitimate. As I wrote in the previous part of this article - the data is yours and the software seller will make sure that you will be able to access it even if something happens to him. This is also something than you need to explain and take care of when signing the SLA with the vendor. Most of the time, there will be a clause stating that the seller will help you migrate your data for a fee;
8. Are there any OS limitations?
SaaS relies deeply on internet connection, which sometimes can be a problem. However, this is something that you need to take care of. Can you provide your business with a good internet connection? Would it be reliable? No system is fully immune to power and connection problems. While most on-premise softwares can suffer deep data damage from power outages, SaaS vendors make sure that their product works safely on and offline (you work offline, but the data gets to the cloud once the connection is on again).
When it comes to operating systems, there are no problems. These days, SaaS is compatible with almost every OS there is (including Mac OS, Windows and Linus, of course). SaaS also supports multiple web browsers;
9. Is there a difference between SaaS and Cloud Computing?
Yes, there is. Cloud computing refers to the technology - a set of servers, computers, databases which are connected together, letting the users rent their combined power.
The cloud is anything that is hosted remotely and can be accessed via Internet, while SaaS is specifically for business needs;
More articles:
1. 9 FAQs about Software as a Service (SaaS) pt.1
2. 4 Reasons Live Chat Has the Potential to Make Your Business Successful
3. How to Handle the Situation: Difficult Customers