19-05-2012, 02:00 PM
SAAS AND CLOUD COMPUTING SECURITY
SAAS AND CLOUD COMPUTING SECURITY.doc (Size: 477.5 KB / Downloads: 38)
Introduction
Cloud computing providing unlimited infrastructure to store and execute customer data and program. As customers you do not need to own the infrastructure, they are merely accessing or renting, they can forego capital expenditure and consume resources as a service, paying instead for what they use.Software as a service (SaaS, typically pronounced [sæs]), sometimes referred to as "on-demand software," is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally (typically in the (Internet) cloud) and are typically accessed by users using a thin client, normally using a web browser over the Internet. SaaS is closely related to the ASP (application service provider) and on demand computing software delivery models.
Pricing
Unlike traditional software, conventionally sold as a perpetual license with an associated up-front fee (and, typically, smaller ongoing support fees), SaaS providers generally price applications using a subscription fee, most commonly a monthly fee or an annual fee. Consequently, the initial setup cost for SaaS is typically lower than the equivalent enterprise software. SaaS vendors typically price their applications based on some usage parameters, such as the number of users ("seats") using the application.
Configuration and customization
SaaS applications similarly support what is traditionally known as application customization. In other words, like traditional enterprise software, a single customer can alter the set of configuration options (a.k.a., parameters) that affect its functionality and look-and-feel. Each customer may have its own settings (or: parameter values) for the configuration options. The application can be customized to the degree it was designed for based on a set of predefined configuration options.For example: to support customers' common need to change an application's look-and-feel so that the application appears to be having the customer's brand (or—if so desired—co-branded), many SaaS applications let customers provide (through a self service interface or by working with application provider staff) a custom logo and sometimes a set of custom colors. The customer cannot, however, change the page layout unless such an option was designed for.
Accelerated feature delivery
SaaS applications are often updated more frequently than traditional software,[11] in many cases on a weekly or monthly basis. This is enabled by several factors:
• The application is hosted centrally, so new releases can be put in place without requiring customers to physically install new software.
• The application only has a single configuration, making development testing faster.
• The application vendor has access to all customer data, expediting design and regression testing.