Which statement accurately describes Software as a Service (SaaS), including a typical benefit and drawback?

Which statement accurately describes Software as a Service (SaaS), including a typical benefit and drawback?

• A. Software delivered over the internet; benefit: low upfront cost; drawback: less control and portability concerns.
• B. Software installed on local servers with high upfront cost.
• C. A coding framework for building apps.
• D. A database hosting service with on-premise deployment.

Answer: (A)

SaaS means software that's delivered over the internet and accessed as a service, with the provider hosting, maintaining, and updating the application. A typical benefit is a low upfront cost because you don’t buy servers, licenses, or pay for extensive in-house maintenance—the software is accessed through a subscription. A common drawback is less control over the environment and portability concerns: you rely on the vendor for uptime, security, and updates, and moving data or switching providers can be more challenging. The other options don’t fit SaaS: software installed on local servers with high upfront costs describes on-premises software; a coding framework is a development tool, not a hosted service; and a database hosting service with on-premise deployment isn’t SaaS since it’s not delivered over the internet as a service.

SaaS means software that's delivered over the internet and accessed as a service, with the provider hosting, maintaining, and updating the application. A typical benefit is a low upfront cost because you don’t buy servers, licenses, or pay for extensive in-house maintenance—the software is accessed through a subscription. A common drawback is less control over the environment and portability concerns: you rely on the vendor for uptime, security, and updates, and moving data or switching providers can be more challenging.

The other options don’t fit SaaS: software installed on local servers with high upfront costs describes on-premises software; a coding framework is a development tool, not a hosted service; and a database hosting service with on-premise deployment isn’t SaaS since it’s not delivered over the internet as a service.