A cloud-computing approach to providing users with computer applications. Instead of each user having to install the software on his computer, the user is able to access the program via the internet. Businesses commonly use software as a service (SaaS) in customer retention management, human resources and procurement. Technology companies, financial services companies and utilities have lead the business world in adopting SaaS technology.

The advantages of SaaS are that it is easy to implement, easy to update and debug and can be less expensive (or at least have lower up-front costs), since users pay for SaaS as they go instead of purchasing multiple software licenses for multiple computers. SaaS has numerous uses, including tracking leads, scheduling events, managing transactions, automating sign up, auditing and more.