--- tags: Teaser --- # SaaS Now that you have a clearer picture of the different industries within the tech sector, it's time to zoom into the industry that has experienced the biggest growth in recent years, and the one you're most likely to work in: B2B SaaS! :::info 🤯 **B2B SaaS-what!?** ::: &nbsp; ## What is SaaS? **Essentially, SaaS means selling software through the internet.** To understand SaaS, you need to understand the technology that made it possible: cloud computing a.k.a "The Cloud". Before the cloud: - If you were a consumer, it used to be that you had to go to a store and buy a DVD to watch at home, or a computer game to install on your computer. - If you were a company, it used to be that you needed to invest in a complex and expensive data centers inside your offices to provide or use software services. **Then cloud computing technology emerged, and everything changed.** Simply put, cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet. **Instead of installing and maintaining software yourself, you simply access it via the Internet, freeing yourself from complex, expensive software and hardware management.** - **SaaS:** When a company builds software and let's the final user use it over the internet for a monthly fee, we say they offer Software-as-Service, and call that a SaaS company. Spotify, Netflix, Gmail Shopify or Salesforce are all examples of SaaS models. - **IaaS and PaaS:** When a company offers the services necessary for another company to offer SaaS services, we call those companies IaaS and Paas. AWS and Heroku are ecamples of IaaS and PaaS models &nbsp; ### Why is SaaS so popular? Cloud computing and the SaaS model suddenly enabled us to access any software from anywhere, at low costs, with no initial investment. - For consumers, SaaS means they can now binge watch shows without having to purchase a DVD (Netflix) or listen to all the music they want (Spotify) for a monthly fee. - For companies, SaaS meant they don't have to build their own software tools to run their business (Salesforce, GSuite) or offer their services (Shopify). Fundamentally, they enable access to software that previously would have required a huge investment. You can imagine the demand these companies generate from both consumers and companies. &nbsp; ### SaaS adoption is growing - fast * According to Forbes, the average company pays 20 times more for SaaS subscriptions today than five years ago and uses 30-plus free SaaS products. * An average mid-sized company spends $20,000 per month on SaaS subscriptions. * This trend shows no signs of slowing down, with app adoption increasing across every department. **Check it out!👇** :::info **Note** In case you're not familiar with the terms: &nbsp; - B2B means Business-to-Business: This is when a company sells to other companies - B2C means Business-to-Consumer: This is when a company sells to individual consumers ::: &nbsp; {%youtube 4oQjPlS2gSg %} <style> body > .ui-infobar, body > .ui-toc, body > .ui-affix-toc, body > .ui-community, body > .document-footer { display: none !important; } </style>