SAAS (or Software as a Service) is a huge sector in the software industry. Although lots of companies and startups are focusing on developing mobile apps and building businesses around them‚ most of the backend systems still run as a SaaS product. These web-based systems are made accessible to the users/consumers via a browser‚ or specific software built for laptops‚ and made to imitate the look and feel of the web.
The Limitations of SaaS Apps
Whilst a lot of these SaaS offerings now also provide a mobile app‚ they often fail drastically in the UI / UX service they provide. These apps have an amateur feel and don’t serve as an outright replacement for the web-based product. That said‚ some companies are beginning to understand the effectiveness of good UI‚ and have recently started updating and improving their apps to let users interact with their systems more effectively while they are on the move.
One thing missing from the SaaS-based offering is the iPad or tablet focused app. Somehow these companies are yet to fall in love with tablet devices‚ which enable users to have a better experience using any application with their large screens. SaaS enterprise apps have lots of features that cannot easily fit into the mobile screen and require a little more screen real estate. Hence it would make sense for these companies to invest in developing a good tablet-focused app‚ as well as a mobile one.
The Power of Tablets
Lots of industries are working with mobile app developers to plan and launch tablet-based apps that can enhance their productivity at work. However‚ these apps are usually planned‚ designed and developed for internal company use‚ and stay within the company itself.
Many SaaS companies are losing out on the opportunity to get their product on those tablets‚ instead of the customer’s own app. This will inevitably damage their business in the end‚ as companies investing in a new system to use on tablets will not continue to use the SaaS product offering – this would mean using two different systems for a single purpose.
It would therefore make a lot of sense for SaaS providers to invest in creating a successful web-based backend software which is then linked to a tablet app‚ hence developing a singular management system for their clients.
Arguably most users still use their laptops or desktops to access their core workload. So of course it’s hardly surprising that SaaS companies tend to invest mostly in web-based products. But tablets‚ on the other hand‚ are also gaining popularity in terms of usage within companies and industries‚ due to their mobility and accessibility. This should make these devices an ideal platform for SaaS companies to release an app for‚ to ensure their users have access to most of the features they can get on the web.
Tablets are an essential part of the IT ecosystem and SaaS companies need to understand this. In order to remain relevant in an industry that is fast evolving‚ it’s vital that their offering is available to their users on this platform as well.
