Software as a service (or SaaS) is a way of delivering applications over the Internet—as a service. Instead of installing and maintaining software, you simply access it over the Internet, freeing yourself from complex software and hardware management. SaaS applications are sometimes called web-based software, on-demand software, or hosted software. Whatever you call them, SaaS applications run on a SaaS provider’s servers. The provider manages access to the application, including security, availability, and performance.