Insurers: Go Cloud or go Home? SaaS Versus On-Premises Applications

When purchasing or implementing new software, organisations often ask themselves where the solution should be installed: on premises (at the user's location and integrated into their system) or as Software as a Service (Saas, or in the cloud). Many insurance companies are now opting for the latter, with great results. To many of these companies, SaaS is like a 'warm bath': no hassles, no worries and no unexpected costs.

On-premises software

Until about ten years ago, insurance company IT managers and compliance managers would never consider storing their data off-site. They wanted to be able to monitor and manage their own applications. Put quite simply, it just didn't feel right to take their eyes off their data. Despite things going smoothly for a while, the user has to maintain everything that runs on their own system. And this is where things can go wrong. The IT experts have to pay close attention to every update, every new plug in, every malfunction and every user question. That's not always possible; in the beginning it is, but problems tend to crop up over the years. It's even possible that, due to other priorities, the system isn't maintained and becomes so out of date that the performance for which it was initially purchased can no longer be guaranteed. This is not uncommon in software land. Many companies are still running outdated versions of Windows, with all the risks this entails.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Companies who buy software as a service don't have to worry about these risks. That's why an increasing number of companies are immediately opting for SaaS when they purchase a new system or a new application. Others are leaving the on premises period behind to make the transition. But this isn’t always possible, as is the case, for example, with companies that can’t store their data elsewhere due to national legislation. In most EU countries this is no longer a problem. EU legislation allows for data to be stored and managed elsewhere, including another country. But there are, of course, rules. In fact, the security requirements are extremely strict.

Up and running

Insurance companies that previously thought they could only run systems on premises have found themselves wondering why they didn't transition to SaaS sooner; why they didn't opt for a smooth system earlier. With SaaS, they don't have to worry about updates or technical problems and they aren't losing any sleep worrying about whether their staff can keep the system up and running. What they are wondering is why they didn't get things up and running smoothly and consistently, day in and day out, from the start.

The cloud always up to date

Those who exclusively choose to use software (as with SaaS) instead of managing and maintaining it are also opting for the best and newest applications. Improvements, updates and innovations are being developed all the time and users can benefit from these directly. SaaS also streamlines collaboration, such as analysing large amounts of data or exchanging information for fraud detection.

Safe private cloud

SaaS has been a popular development in recent years. This shift can be seen in various fields and sectors. We may not realise it, but many of the applications we use in our personal and professional lives are stored in the cloud by major players like Amazon and Google. These are known as public clouds. The servers that host these online services are located all over the world and the scale is enormous. The applications offered by FRISS are stored in a private cloud. Your data and software are stored on computers at four centres throughout the Netherlands. This means we know exactly where everything is and can guarantee the safety of your data. The owner is the only one who can access the data, which is securely stored and managed.

Fixed costs and higher returns

Those who opt for SaaS are also opting for cost control. The price of the SaaS application is the same as the on-premises version, with one important difference; on-premises systems always come with additional management and maintenance costs. Every system is different and internal IT employees have their own unique knowledge and experiences. This may result in considerably higher costs for on-premises applications, as well as a higher degree of uncertainty. Given the direct access to system updates and the extensive collaboration and analysis options, SaaS can offer higher returns. Much higher, in fact! These returns will also help you sleep better at night.