SaaS => Webware

Paul McNamara, from Coghead, raises an important point about the need to use new (accurate?) terminology to describe our exciting, web-native era. Put simply, the use of the term "software as a service" (SaaS) emphasizes the technology element (software) we want our clients to worry less about.

Does this really matter? Yes! We should not think of our amazing web capability in terms associated with stodgy technology. In Paul's words...

"When technology changes the patterns of consumption in a fundamental way, then something very important is happening. A new era is dawning and new terminology is needed. Words matter.

People are able to do things with web-based applications and information services that they simply can’t do with software that’s installed on a local machine or running in a client-server environment. And because of this, web-based applications will reach market segments that have been beyond the reach of software apps."

His analogy to the paradigm shift of phonograph records to radio is right on. Although radio enabled us to hear phonograph records over the air, to describe it as "Phonograph as a Service" (PaaS?) undermines the fundamental shift in content consumption brought on by the radio era.

So what do we call the "paradigm formerly known as software as a service"? WEBWARE (a term coined by Rafe Needleman at cnet).

Long live webware!

webware