Software as a Service, usually abbreviated to SaaS, is a distribution model for software, whereby instead of downloading the software to run locally on your PC, the program is hosted by a third-party provider, and then accessed by users over the internet, typically through a web browser interface.
SaaS is a type of cloud computing, with the other related cloud computing categories being Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Platform as a Service (PaaS). Many folks use SaaS on a daily basis, although they may not be familiar with the term. SaaS is usually sold via a license/subscription model.
