ENTERPRISE IT
EVERYTHING
AS A SERVICE
The Everything as a Service ( XaaS ) model is becoming ubiquitous with many firms dropping older sales models in favour of a full-subscription future . The trend is set to continue
WRITTEN BY : PADDY SMITH
Remember the old days when buying software was like buying a sofa ? You bought a licence and used it until it stopped working properly . Then you went back to market and bought another , or upgraded your existing licence . Simple .
Not any more . Software is a service . You rent the sofa , and the owner bears the cost of replacement or refurbishment . And that Software as a Service ( SaaS ) approach has pervaded the entire technology landscape .
When Zoom bought customer service company Five9 recently , it was described as a Contact Centre as a Service ( CCaaS ) solution . Rowan Trollope , CEO of Five9 , said it would provide customers with “ access to best-of-breed solutions , particularly Zoom Phone , that will enable them to realise more value and deliver real results for their business .”
Indeed , to see quite how pervasive the trend is , check your incredulity at the sofa metaphor . It ’ s increasingly common for household expendables – soap , cosmetics , razor blades , detergent – to be sold on subscriptions . Just as with technology , the
94 September 2021