10 Important Questions to Ask a SaaS Provider

Why SaaS?• SaaS is Software as a

Service • Moving from on-premise

hardware systems to cloud-based servers can be confusing and nerve-wracking

• Gathering the right information before using a cloud service is the key to success

Security

• Security is by FAR the largest concern companies have regarding the cloud

• The real question you should be asking a cloud service is, “What type of security infrastructure is in place to secure my data here?”

• Don’t discard the idea of cloud services without first asking that question

Data Liberation

• Although stored by the provider, your data is ultimately yours– You should have access to your data regardless of

where it is stored and be able to take it with you when you leave a service

• Every website should have a data liberation policy. See why here

• Google’s Data Liberation Front is leading the way

Availability of Data

• Consider the uptime vs. downtime of the service, protection from disasters, SLA terms and ramifications, etc.

• The best SaaS providers will have a 99%+ uptime– Gmail currently has 95% uptime

Support

• You need to know how to contact support if anything goes wrong– Find out how to reach them, when it’s available and if

there is a self-help feature• A good SaaS provider will have:– Flexible support schedule– Highly qualified staff– Comprehensive knowledge base– Self-help documentation– Ability to handle unlimited support tickets

Enhancements

• Find out if the SaaS provider allows you access to latest enhancements for the most up-to-date cloud computing capabilities

• Enhancements should be:– Very easy to implement– Provide no disruption to service

• Find out how often services are released and how closely customer feedback plays into new features

Integration• You may still need cloud

services to work in conjunction with your current local servers and hardware applications

– i.e. if using a CRM tool in-house and need to integrate with other online tools

• Look for a provider that uses open standard based APIs to link to your own on-site system

Usability

• Ideal SaaS provider will make user experience as simple and seamless as possible

• To avoid choosing a complex system, get a free trial and see how you feel using it for a week

• Look for a user experience similar to that of Google: simple and easy to understand with little to no support needed

Contracts

• Don’t get locked into a pricey year-long contract with a cloud service of which you are unsure

• See if they have a free trial or month-to-month plan

• Don’t waste money on a service you don’t need year-round

Infrastructure

• Try to find out if the provider’s infrastructure can easily scale to your needs– i.e. if you need to start off with 10 users and plan

to roll it out to 50 more within the year, can their servers scale easily?

• Tip: Many cloud providers benefit from economies of scale; ask if they give bulk discounts

References

• Read through what existing users have said• Search for the company on Twitter, visit them

on Facebook, read testimonials and case studies and check out their website

• The more market validation, the better

Why These Questions Matter

• By asking the right questions and being prepared when evaluating a SaaS vendor, you will increase your chances of satisfaction and success with them

• Whichever service you choose, make sure you have a backup plan, as most aren’t at 99%+ uptime yet.

• Check out Backupify’ssocial media backup plans.