Chapter 1: Your understanding of SAAS may be wrong
SAAS, software as a service.
If you think SAAS is just a WEB-based software or platform, then make money through subscription.
Then you are wrong.
In order to correctly understand SAAS, let's first talk about the development process of SAAS.
1. SAAS in the PC Internet Era
Before the Internet became developed, software was packaged and sold directly. They are often sold in a similar "CD + serial number" format.
In the early days of the Internet, Internet companies mainly provided information to users, whether it was various websites or search engines.
Later, these Internet companies felt that in addition to providing users with information, they could also provide functional applications. Web-based email is a good example.
On the other hand, traditional software companies have found that as the Internet and WEB become more and more developed. The way users obtain software is increasingly relying on downloading rather than purchasing a CD. The functions of their software can also be completely realized using WEB, which saves the need for downloading and makes it easier for users to obtain. It also allows users to try it out to a certain extent. Thereby increasing the paid purchase rate.
The two brothers, the Internet and the traditional software industry, finally found a point where they hit it off after years of despising each other.
So SAAS, that is, the concept of software as a service, began to be pursued.
The earliest and probably one of the most successful SAAS so far is Google Docs.
Based on WEB, no download, free or subscription payment method.
This is the basic feature of the earliest SAAS. In particular, the point of "based on WEB, abandoning the client" has almost become a symbol of SAAS. To this day, many people still have this concept of SAAS.
This type of SAAS is more typical, in addition to Google Docs, there is also ZOHO (www.zoho.com).
Here, a special mention. ZOHO really deserves to be respected. It is also a successful case of traditional software companies transforming into SAAS.
From its establishment in 1996, to 2005, when the Internet came out of its first cold winter and WEB2.0 began to become popular, ZOHO turned to SAAS. After that, ZOHO did not raise funds or go public, but continued to work quietly for another 10 years, making itself a Became the world's first-class SAAS service provider.
In the past, my colleagues and some colleagues in the United States have told me such things. After Google Docs appeared, they gave up client office software similar to Microsoft Office. However, when we later entered the Chinese market and had to cooperate with Chinese colleagues, problems arose. Because Google Docs cannot be used under normal circumstances in China (you know the reason). So, they will choose another "Docs", which is ZOHO.
2. Mobile Internet Era—The Evolution of SAAS
The Internet can always cause trouble. It seems that many of the changes in these years can be traced back to the origins of the Internet. Just like in the PC Internet era, Google created Docs, which made the "WEB-based" SAAS steal the show. This time, Apple did something, and in the end, many things were different.
Mobile Internet has changed many things. From the subscription pandemic to the great development of WEB technology, etc., they have profoundly affected SAAS.
1. Subscriptions are a pandemic
I am afraid that no one expected that the subscription model, which was originally more focused on TO B but has always been tepid, would become explosively popular on the mobile side and in the direction of TO C.
You really have Apple to thank for the subscription pandemic. Good user experience, convenient ways to obtain APP, and convenient payment methods are all important factors leading to this result.
It can be said that Apple's APP store and iCloud have brought something different to C SAAS. This also made many people gradually realize that SAAS seemed different.
2. Native or WEB, that is the question
The natural closed nature of the mobile Internet has resulted in many independent and closed user ecology, such as the user ecology of iOS, the user ecology of various Android mobile phone manufacturers, etc.
In order to reach users in various ecosystems, various native apps have become popular.
Why not web?
Weird, right?
WEB, which had always been favored by the Internet, was suddenly abandoned when it came to the mobile Internet.
There was even a saying at one time that the WEB was about to die and that the future would be dominated by native apps. Of course, as it turned out later, not only did WEB not disappear, but it developed very well.
The reason why this situation occurs is mainly due to two aspects.
(1) WEB is opened by entering the URL, which becomes very difficult on mobile phones.
(2) The WEB experience on the mobile phone is very poor.
The first reason is that due to the limitations of mobile phone screens and networks, the opening of WEB on mobile terminals is very slow.
Secondly, at that time, WEB was technically backward and had poor interactivity, and could no longer keep up with the development of the times.
However, in order to reach users in each ecosystem, each ecosystem must develop a native APP. This cost is unbearable for those working on the Internet.
One set of code, run everywhere. This is the way of the Internet!
Therefore, instead, WEB technology began to develop greatly. First, there is the rapid popularization of H5 and the maturity and widespread application of js technology. Development methods that separate front-end and back-end, hybrid development methods, and various front-end development frameworks are emerging one after another. Even later, Facebook developed a black technology - rect native, which uses js bridging technology to call native components to form a native APP, packages it to ios to form an ios native APP, and packages it to the Android system to form an Android native APP. Only one set of code needs to be maintained.
This idea had a great influence on the development of APP in the following years. Even the popular mini programs in China are deeply influenced by this idea.
Today, probably, most of the APPs on your mobile phone are not purely native APPs. Either it is mixed development, or it is pure WEB packaging.
3. WEB can also be a client
The development of technology always brings changes in methods, and changes in methods always bring changes in concepts. Changes in concepts can always change many, many things.
As WEB front-end technologies such as H5, js, and CSS3 become more and more mature. There have also been major changes in the development methods of WEB, and WEB can also be packaged into APPs, and APP can also be developed using js. Then, everyone discovered that WEB can also be a browser-based client. Just like IOS APP is a client based on IOS, Android APP is a client based on Android system. So the concepts of "WEB client" and "application-based WEB" came into being.
The emergence of this concept is very important for SAAS. We no longer limit SAAS to "WEB-based".
4. SAAS is multi-terminal
Microsoft, the dominant player in traditional software, missed the PC Internet era.
In the era of mobile Internet, the old Microsoft, which was ridiculed by the Internet, finally became angry.
If the tiger doesn't perform well, you think I'm a sick cat. Internet brats, take up the challenge!
The old Microsoft has made a move, and it is a big move.
For a time, the situation changed, the road roared, and visions abounded. The Internet players were overwhelmed by the fight. Although they were not defeated, they were still in a hurry.
This move of the old Microsoft is famous - mobile first, cloud first.
Friends who are interested can read a book"Refresh - Rediscover Business and the Future", this book was written by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. It is written about how Microsoft proposed the direction of mobile first and cloud first, and achieved the goal of reshaping Microsoft's soul and refreshing itself.
After the old Microsoft refreshed itself, the changes were huge. If nothing else, let’s talk about its Office.
(1), from selling software to selling services
Software as a Service focuses on the service, not the software.
After self-refresh, Office is no longer a client software that can only create various documents, but has become a service that allows you to collaborate with colleagues anytime, anywhere.
Note: Microsoft Office 365 was officially released in 2011 and became a subscription model. However, at that time, Office 365 was still mainly about selling software (binding the system, limiting the number of computers, etc.), and it could only run on Windows systems. .). It wasn't until 2014 that Satya Nadella took charge of Microsoft and proposed the "mobile first, cloud first" strategy. After self-refresh, Microsoft Office underwent tremendous changes and completely turned into "selling services". , this change process is not as fast as everyone thinks. The complete transformation from selling software to selling services was actually completed when Microsoft replaced Office 365 with Microsoft 365 (2020). Moreover, to this day, Microsoft still retains "selling software" in addition to "selling services". Every once in a while, it will launch new Office for "selling software", such as Office2016, Office2019, Office2021 and so on.
Still recommend reading that book"refresh".
(2), one cloud, many terminals
The previous Office was just a client software running on the Windows operating system.
The refreshed Office truly embodies the characteristics of "mobile first, cloud first".
- Multiple terminals ensure "mobile first".
It not only runs on Windows, nor can it only run on the browser (WEB side), it can even run on Apple phones, MAC, Android phones and other devices. Achieved, anytime, anywhere, no matter what scene, no matter what device is used, you can use Microsoft Office and work together efficiently at the same time.
Note: Please do not simply interpret “mobile first” as “mobile first”. If you want to better understand Microsoft’s “mobile first, cloud first” approach, I recommend reading that book"refresh". This article will not discuss it.
Letting its own Office run on a competitor's (Apple's) system is a "foolish thing" that Microsoft would never have done in the past. However, under the concept of "mobile first" and "selling services", this "silly thing" has become a "smart thing" that must be done.
- One cloud is the premise of many things.
No matter which "end" is used, the final "content" edited and viewed is the same. Without the prerequisite guarantee of Yiyun, multi-terminal will lose its meaning.
Very similar to Microsoft's transformation is the SAAS transformation of another traditional software giant, which is Adobe. Its transformation is almost the same as that of Microsoft Office. The difference is that Adobe's SAASization is more thorough than that of Microsoft Office, perhaps because it has been piracy for a long time. Completely abandon "selling software" and completely shift to "selling services".
The successful transformation of Adobe and Microsoft Office can be said to be a classic case of traditional software transformation into SAAS. It also allows everyone to see a different SAAS from a larger perspective.
It turns out that SAAS can do this too.
Sell services, not software. Under this core idea, the form of SAAS is actually secondary. I believe that with the passage of time and the development of technology, more forms of SAAS will appear.
Regarding "mobile first, cloud first", I still recommend friends who are doing SAAS or preparing to do SAAS to understand it carefully. I still recommend that book."Refresh - Rediscover Business and the Future"