The next step in digital transformation is cloud-native development, which is a critical path toward edge enablement for SaaS providers. As more developers adopt cloud-native principles when building their applications, the demand for SaaS providers to flexibly fit into microservices-based architectures continues to grow.
Cloud-native development is an approach to building and updating apps quickly, while improving quality and reducing risk. Through cloud-native development, you can build and run responsive, scalable, and fault-tolerant apps anywhere. Cloud-native SaaS is software that is built and developed for speed and scale, and licensed via a subscription model.
In its Cloud Computing-focused report, Forrester predicted that 2021 will see “a spike in global demand for both multi-cloud container development platforms and public cloud container/serverless services.” They also added that, “cloud native tech will continue to power digital transformation strategies: By the end of next year, 60% of companies will leverage containers on public cloud platforms and 25% of developers will leverage serverless.”
Experts are agreeing with Forrester’s predictions, saying that the cloud-native approach is likely to succeed over a direct software port to the cloud. Many companies are choosing to move their application development entirely to the cloud or the edge using cloud-native principles. SaaS providers that want to not only survive, but thrive, need to embrace cloud-native.
“Taking advantage of cloud services means using agile and scalable components like containers to deliver discrete and reusable features that integrate in well-described ways, even across technology boundaries like multicloud, which allows delivery teams to rapidly iterate using repeatable automation and orchestration,” said Andi Mann, Chief Technology Advocate at Splunk.
Benefits of cloud-native solutions include a simpler application of lifecycle management, and the separation of computing and storage helps in situations such as adding 10,000 new users. Cloud-native solutions can also offer greater and more scalability, faster deployment, and easier integrations with cloud vendor environments.
The cost savings that cloud-native, multi-tenant SaaS vendors gain from customers served on a single cloud infrastructure, rather than servicing each multifarious IT system, is significant and is passed onto customers through flexible billing.
