Definition
SaaS (Software as a Service)
Software delivered over the internet on a subscription, rather than installed and owned outright, usually billed per seat.
Also known as: Software as a Service, Cloud software
SaaS, or Software as a Service, is software delivered over the internet and paid for by subscription rather than bought once and installed. Billing is usually per seat and per month or year.
The model is why renewal tracking has become a discipline in its own right: an organisation can accumulate dozens or hundreds of SaaS subscriptions, each with its own renewal date, notice period, and owner.
Related terms
- Software registerA single record of every piece of software an organisation uses, with its owner, cost, renewal date, notice period, and contract.
- Lifecycle statusWhere a tracked contract currently sits in its renewal cycle, from active through the notice window to notice given, expired or cancelled.
- Software asset management (SAM)The practice of tracking an organisation's software licences, subscriptions, costs, and compliance across their whole lifecycle.