There are some aspects of running the internet services and the World Wide Web where maintaining individually owned software programs is not only impractical but would make the entire structure so bulky that it could possibly cease to function at all. Especially in the area of server operation it has become much more viable to create broad software programs to maintain the operability and lease the use of the software program to users rather than sell it to them individually.

This Software as a Service (SaaS) concept has many advantages over private ownership. Foremost is the ability to standardize web based operations so that the maximum number of systems can access the same data. Probably the most familiar of the SaaS platforms in use is the software that allows e-mail messaging. By using a software program that is leased to the service providers, there is a great deal more consistency in protocols and less conflict of data. Such platforms actually decrease the amount of hacker intrusion because the programmers can better control the operations of the data stream and there are fewer cross-platform nodes where data can be injected or commandeered.

SaaS programs are used by web hosting companies to run the server hardware that holds the actual data that makes up the World Wide Web. By utilizing these network based software programs, they can be monitored and accessed from anywhere on the network. This helps keep the upgrade process simpler as it can be performed at the program source level rather than be sporadically delivered to individuals as patches and upgrades.

Financially these SaaS programs are charged to the client by a per-user basis. A small hosting company will have lower charges because of fewer users than a large hosting company with many clients. However, this per-user fee structure will assure the viability of the software throughout the span of all its clients and keep the standardized functionality that is needed for smooth inter-operations on the World Wide Web. Greater usage can then lead to a variety of special package deals that include such items as extra storage space or bandwidth usage to make it more profitable for a hosting company to solicit more clients for their hosting service.

For the individual computer user this increase in the use of SaaS systems has made internet access much easier. With the increase in standardized programs there is a greater likelihood of being able to quickly move from one system to another and still understand the basic underlying principles. Because more systems are build upon macros and web interfaces, people can more quickly learn different programs and switch between them with greater efficiency. Spreadsheet, e-mail and accounting software are systems that have taken some of the greatest advantage of this SaaS platform application.

The only major difficulty in implementing SaaS systems is the old-fashioned idea of some companies that they need to keep all their data and information tightly guarded in their own applications. However, with the improvements in Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocols and evidence that the SaaS implementers have better security tools available than the individual, these uniform systems are growing in usage at an exponential rate. The International Data Corporation has speculated that within a few years all SaaS systems will be in full usage and controlled by three or four major providers.

What this ultimately means to the individual is that as these standardized systems grow, the process of using the internet will become more familiar and hopefully more secure.