SaaS Covers Too Much?

Question

I see and think traditionally of SaaS as business services delivered as software; recurring, sometimes yearly, and part of processes, or process automation; focused on QoL for higher ups, or solving direct on the line problems.However since about 2019 and especially 2022, I notice more times than not SaaS is actually being used in reference to a Subscription model B2C startup - GPT wrappers, for example.What gives? Did the term change meaning? Should there be an encompassing of both these ... rather different... models under the same name? Don't business/seat pricing models have much greater compliance/finance issues?

codingdave · Accepted Answer

"Software as a service".That is all it has ever meant. No more, no less. If you provide software via a model where they access it online (as a service), it is a SaaS.You seem to be thinking of it the opposite way: "Services as Software". That simply isn't what the term means.

ad404b8a372f2b9 · Answer

The SaaS term has included B2C companies since the very beginning. There are talks on Youtube as early as 2013 about B2C SaaS companies.

joshxyz · Answer

i think it qualifies.as long as it's a software and a service, regardless if it's b2c b2b b2e, regardless if it's intended for end-users or developers, regardless if it's intended for individuals, teams, smbs, and enterprises.

SaaS Covers Too Much?

"Software as a service".
That is all it has ever meant. No more, no less. If you provide software via a model where they access it online (as a service), it is a SaaS.
You seem to be thinking of it the opposite way: "Services as Software". That simply isn't what the term means.

The SaaS term has included B2C companies since the very beginning. There are talks on Youtube as early as 2013 about B2C SaaS companies.

i think it qualifies.
as long as it's a software and a service, regardless if it's b2c b2b b2e, regardless if it's intended for end-users or developers, regardless if it's intended for individuals, teams, smbs, and enterprises.