Introduction
There are many different ways that an organization can go about acquiring new software, platforms, and other tools and solutions, and sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. Do you utilize an already built SaaS, or is an on-premise solution a better fit? Maybe you can use a plugin for a product you’re already familiar with, or need the flexibility that a cloud API can give you.
In this blog post, we’re breaking down the 4 most popular options to help you figure out what flavor will work best for you and your organization.
On-premise
First up, we have on-premise. On-premise means that software is hosted on an organization’s internal systems. You are in complete control of your data, how it’s used, and how it’s deployed to your organization. This flavor might be best for you if you have strict security policies that you need to meet or want to keep everything in-house. And, while there may be a hefty cost up front, you could save money in the long run because you are not paying monthly or yearly subscription fees.
Because everything is hosted on your local servers and systems, uptime and performance is also determined by you. Your machine’s processing power and your network do all the work, so if a similar web service has down time, your software will not be affected.
However, on-prem is the most labor-intensive—because your technology is in-house, your team has to maintain and fix it. This could mean that if you are not on top of installing updates or patches, you could be working with outdated information, or not receiving the best service. Deployment could also take longer to make sure that the solution is catered specifically to your needs and completely built out.
Melissa’s on-premise solutions are well-documented in our reference guides and Wiki pages, which can ease confusion and reduce development time. We also support multiple platforms and languages.
Cloud APIs
Cloud APIs are both flexible and easily deployed, and as such they have become one of the most popular ways that companies utilize new services. As the name suggests, cloud APIs transfer information in the cloud from a cloud-based service to another location, such as an on-prem service or another cloud software. This makes it easy to integrate what you need, wherever you need it—on webforms, into existing platforms, or in apps, for example—and can be shared across multiple platforms without having to rebuild. This flavor is great for companies who need to enhance processes or are looking to integrate new services into their already existing platforms.
Cloud APIs are serviced through the provider, meaning that while your team will still have to have some developer skills, there is less maintenance. The developer is responsible for maintaining and updating their product. There will also be lower infrastructure costs, and these services can be implemented quickly, within hours or days.
However, cloud APIs are not in-house, and that means that your organization will not be in complete control of your data, as they would be with an on-premise solution. Because of this, be careful when vetting your providers. Make sure that they have good support and good security compliance.
For example, Melissa’s APIs comply with many different security requirements to protect personally identifiable information (PII) such as SOC1 Type 1 and 2, HIPAA, and HITECH. Our servers are also GDPR and CCPA-compliant. We have many servers across the world and a 99.9% uptime. We also have great customer support and many training tools to help you with your business needs, and our APIs are built to handle many format requests.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Software as a service is generally designed to be user-friendly and accessible. Like cloud APIs, this is software hosted in the cloud, but you connect to it via the internet, and it’s an already built system. This type of technology is generally scalable, although because SaaS are usually designed for a broad audience, the solutions will not be tailored to your specific needs unless you work with the provider to modify it, if that option is available. SaaS is great for small businesses or startups who may lack the skills to build their own internal programs or need to scale quickly, or for those with budget constraints.
Everything in these services is handled by the provider, including security. Because of this, downtime and data breaches are on the provider, and could cause frustrations for your organization. Like cloud APIs, take time to research the product offering you’re interested in to make sure you understand their strengths, weaknesses, and their user agreements.
Melissa has a SaaS solution called Listware, which is an all-in-one data cleansing tool that you can start using now.
Integrations & Plugins
If you use a database management system such as Microsoft SQL Server, plugins or integrations might be the best choice for your organization. Components make it easy to create connections from your sources to the provider. This helps with ETL processes, and makes data manipulation easier. SSIS, for example, utilizes a drag and drop design that makes it easy to set up projects.
There are also many different types of apps, add-ons, and extensions that are available on popular platforms you may already use, like Salesforce or Hubspot. While they might be limited in scope and dependent on what the provider allows on their platforms, they might offer what you need. Make sure to take advantage of those as well!
Melissa offers many integrations—a few include Microsoft SQL Server, Talend, Semarchy, and tools for popular products like Salesforce/Dynamics CRM and Shopware, with more being added frequently.
Conclusion
There are many ways that software and technology can be delivered to an organization. Most of the time, an organization uses many at the same time. Knowing what you want a new solution to do for your company is key. Once you know that, you can see which option fits your needs the best.
Let us know what flavor of deployment delivery works for you, or what you’re looking for in a data quality solution! Reach out to us at www.melissa.com or call 1-800-MELISSA. Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog for everything related to data quality!