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Using SaaS (Software as a Service) based Monitoring solutions are becoming increasingly popular in the field of monitoring.
The basic concept behind the Software as a Service (SaaS) model, is that it allows customers to purchase access to certain IT services through SaaS vendors, instead of having to set up the solutions on their own premises. SaaS is sometimes also referred to as “on-demand software”.
By using SaaS solutions, companies can reduce costs, scale their services, while having an easy-to-use platform, which also gives access to the benefits of the newest software updates instantly.
The Achilles heel of SaaS solutions
However, third-party SaaS solutions do not come without their own challenges either. Providing a certain level of service quality through SaaS solutions, and making sure that the desired user experience is actually being met can be an issue without the objectivity that data-driven application monitoring solutions can offer.
For this reason, it is essential for enterprises to have a clear understanding of the performance of the SaaS applications they are using. Traditionally, this was done on the premises of the company, which offers a quite high level of data security, and the possibility to use license-free, open-source solutions.
On the other hand, on-premise monitoring requires significant setup effort, it is often incomplete in terms of functionality and can be vulnerable to system failures.
Companies that move from an On-Premise model to a SaaS-based solution for monitoring their resources can reduce costs, save time and gain more control over their core business areas.
Outsourcing some aspects of the infrastructure development and maintenance to external service providers can support IT teams in creating better software for their customers, and reducing the mean-time-to-repair (MTTR).
See with your users’ eyes through Real-User Monitoring
This is where SaaS monitoring technologies, such as Real-User Monitoring (RUM) prove to be invaluable assets.
RUM is a monitoring technology, which uses data provided by real users, as opposed to synthetic monitoring solutions, that generate automated tests to provide data about service quality. It is typically considered a “passive monitoring” tool, as it gathers data, without having any effect on the functioning of the site.
By receiving data from actual users, real-time service levels can be assessed, errors can be identified quickly, and the troubleshooting process is made much more simple through the use of RUM, to ensure that the general user experience is as seamless as possible.
Additionally, RUM can also support the assessment of changes made in specific software, to reveal if these changes facilitate the intended effects on user experience, or if it produces any unexpected errors, issues instead.
The combination of both synthetic and real user monitoring can provide insight into both the general user experience, as well as the availability, performance of applications, and the supporting infrastructure.
Among other assets, Real-User Monitoring is a great tool to ensure a flawless user experience for SaaS applications.
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