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  • Joël de Bruijn@lemmy.ml
    1·
    4 months ago

    SAAS isn’t about subscription perse although they have them of course. Its about “not needing to take care of”. It’s software on “someone else’s computer” just as with public cloud. In a SAAS construct a provider does the hosting, computing, connection, install, configuration and maintenance. Absolving clients from that burden.

    Comparing proprietary desktop applications (even with a subscription) with FOSS alternatives is useful, it’s just not SAAS.

    • AHemlocksLie@lemmy.zip
      1·
      3 months ago

      So it seems like if you’re using Office on desktop, not SaaS, but they do offer it in a browser, so would that count? Technically, if it’s in JavaScript or something like that, computing is handled locally, but it still feels close enough to count.

      • Joël de Bruijn@lemmy.ml
        1·
        3 months ago

        My understanding is roughly, for example:

        • Microsoft Word desktop application: not SAAS.
        • Microsoft Word online: SAAS (just like any other service accessible by browser but not a “localhost”)
        • Onedrive: SAAS, storage with local explorer integration.
        • Exchange server on prem: not SAAS, increasingly diffucult to do.
        • Exchange server by MS: SAAS
        • Microsoft Outlook Classic for desktop: not SAAS.
        • Microsoft Teams for desktop: SAAS although local install but its just another frontend instead of browser.
        • Office365: SAAS but really a container for every tool in the MS online toolbox together.

        Some caveats: Word handles spellchecker in their cloud and clippy 2024 (Copilot) integration blurs the line.