What does Software as a Service (SaaS) describe?

• A. Where clients use software over the internet
• B. Renting out computing infrastructure
• C. Platforms for developers to build apps
• D. On-premises software deployment

Answer: (A)

Software as a Service describes software that is delivered and used over the internet. Instead of buying and installing an application on individual computers, you access and use the program through a web browser or lightweight client, while the provider hosts, maintains, and updates the service. Pricing is typically subscription-based, and you don’t manage the underlying hardware or software updates.

This differs from renting computing infrastructure (that would be IaaS), which focuses on servers, storage, and networking rather than the software itself. It also isn’t a platform for developers to build apps (that’s PaaS), and it isn’t traditional on-premises software that you install and run locally.