Software as a Service (SaaS) has become an integral part of modern business. But when did it become so popular? In this article, we’ll take a look at the history of SaaS, and explore when it started to become a major force in the industry.
SaaS first emerged in the late 1990s. At the time, it was seen as an alternative to traditional software, which required customers to purchase and install programs on their own computers. Instead, SaaS allowed customers to access applications over the internet, eliminating the need for installation and maintenance on their personal machines.
The turn of the century saw a dramatic shift in the way companies conducted business. With the explosion of the internet, companies were able to reach customers all over the world, and the concept of “software as a service” became increasingly attractive. This was especially true for businesses with limited budgets and resources, as they could use SaaS to access the same level of software without the need for major investments in software and hardware.
The early 2000s saw the emergence of several major SaaS providers, such as Salesforce, founded in 1999. Salesforce quickly became the leading provider of SaaS solutions, and this success helped to further propel the SaaS industry forward. By 2005, SaaS had become an established part of the software industry, and its popularity was rapidly increasing.
The mid-2000s saw the introduction of more SaaS providers, as well as the development of new software categories such as customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP). These new categories further contributed to the growth of SaaS, as companies increasingly began to recognize the value of having access to software solutions from anywhere.
The late 2000s saw the emergence of cloud computing, which further boosted the SaaS industry. Cloud computing allowed companies to access powerful software solutions without needing to invest in their own hardware or software, decreasing the costs associated with software solutions.
Today, SaaS is a critical part of the software industry, and it is estimated that the global SaaS market will reach $206 billion by 2022. The success of SaaS is due in part to its capability to offer customers powerful software solutions at a fraction of the cost of traditional software. This has made it attractive to companies of all sizes, and it continues to be a major force in the software industry.