SaaS and YOUR Data?
Okay well here is an intresting idea for you to consider. It`s something I have been thinking of for sometime but never had a chance to put my thoughts into words. Basically everytime you sign up for one of the many Online Applications. Your Data is being stored on their servers. Okay so you probably already knew this, the point is that you don`t have control over your data.
My idea is simple, instead of a SaaS Application storing the data on their own server, they could store the data on your server.
Now your asking how might this actually work, the first way is to have a normal Database Server (MySQL, MsSQL, etc) either publically avaliable over the net (password protected of course) or perhaps over a VPN tunnel to your SaaS Provider.
The upside is that this way is pretty simple to setup, nothing special or new needs to be coded, or installed. The downside is that performace is effected as the browser makes an AJAX call to the SaaS provider and the the SaaS provider makes an SQL call to your server.
So the first option isn`t really an option the second is this: Instead of the browser making an AJAX call back to the SaaS provider we get it to create a socket connection (using flash) to your own server.
This means that performace should be pretty darn good especially if you are accessing your application inside your own network as your DATA is only a hop or two away. Whats more you don`t even need to open up your firewall if the application is only used inside.
The downside is that the SaaS provider needs to write some extra code that you need to install on your server however with things like VMware becoming more popular this shouldn`t be so much of an issue.
This means that you now have complete control over YOUR DATA, you can back it up, and make sure it is nice and secure.
And the SaaS provider can concentrate on building and updating an Online Application...
When you think about this it is really no diffrent to Ms Office or any other desktop application its just that the app it`s self is delivered over HTTP.
Tell Me What You Think?
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