How Open-source Technology can give your SaaS Platform a Competitive Edge
The world of software as a service (SaaS) is growing rapidly, with a projected market value of USD 720.44 billion by 2028. And for businesses looking to stay ahead in this competitive landscape, open-source technology is becoming an increasingly popular choice. Why? Because leveraging the power of open-source software can provide a host of advantages in building a saas platform. Not only can it lead to faster development cycles and greater flexibility in customization, but it can also offer lower costs and better security.
As Eric S. Raymond, a well-known open-source advocate, put it, “Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow.” And with 72% of businesses using open-source software to gain a competitive edge and 67% using it to reduce costs, it’s clear that this approach is gaining traction.
So if you’re building a saas platform, consider the benefits of open-source technology. It just might be the secret weapon you need to succeed in the world of SaaS.
Also read: SaaS Benefits for Business
Benefits of using Open-Source Technology in Building a SaaS Platform
Open-source technology can bring numerous benefits to businesses building a SaaS platform. It provides access to a wide range of free and high-quality software components, reducing development time and costs. So without further ado, take a quick glance at the benefits.
keeping your platform ahead of the curve
By leveraging the power of open-source software, businesses can accelerate their feature delivery and get their SaaS platforms to market faster. With access to a vast library of pre-existing code, developers can build on top of proven foundations, resulting in faster and more efficient development cycles.
Most importantly, speedier features allow you to provide value to your consumers more quickly. You have a better chance of delivering dependable features to them as well, rather than just patched together MVP features. According to a recent study by Red Hat, businesses using open-source software experience an average of 17% faster time-to-market and 36% higher levels of innovation compared to those using proprietary software.
One example of a successful SaaS platform built using open-source technology is WordPress. WordPress is an open-source content management system that powers over 40% of all websites on the internet. The platform is built on a foundation of open-source code and has a vast community of developers who contribute to its development and maintenance. The use of open-source technology has allowed WordPress to continuously innovate and improve its platform, resulting in a robust and reliable solution for website owners and businesses.
At the end of the day, this is often what your customers want most from you and this way it allows you to keep your competitors at bay.
Community-driven excellence
As Tim O’Reilly, founder of O’Reilly Media, said, “The wisdom of the crowd is a powerful force in software development.”
When you incorporate open source software tools into your product, you’re not just reducing your codebase. You’re also gaining a team of global communities that develop and maintain these open source projects. These communities aren’t on your payroll, but they’re helping maintain and update 50% of your codebase, for free.
So, open source project management has become a well-established practice, and reasonable due diligence can mitigate any risks. Utilizing open source means tapping into a vast pool of passionate engineers who can help you improve your product. It’s a significant advantage that can elevate your product to the next level.
Maximizing your capital
Capital efficiency is key to the success of any business. By utilizing open source technology in building a SaaS platform, you can maximize your capital efficiency by creating more value with fewer resources. Investors are always looking for companies that can provide a high return on investment, and a capital-efficient business is usually seen as a good steward of their money.
With open source software, you can leverage a global community of developers to help maintain and improve your product, without the need for additional hires. This means you can deliver more features in less time, without having to spend more on resources.
Swiftly navigate the market with enhanced agility
In today’s fast-paced business environment, agility is crucial to success. And when it comes to building a SaaS platform, open-source technology offers unparalleled agility. Open-source software provides multiple solutions to a single problem, giving you the flexibility to choose the option that best suits your business needs. This adaptability ensures that your SaaS platform remains competitive and relevant in a constantly evolving marketplace.
Additionally, open source software development tools are continuously updated and improved by the global open-source community. These updates are driven by innovation and collaboration rather than commercial and financial interests, ensuring that your SaaS platform is always at the cutting edge of technology.
Freedom to choose, no chains to lose
Imagine you’ve built a successful SaaS platform on which your company relies, but you’re suddenly stuck with a vendor from which you can’t get away. The expense of updates, maintenance, support skyrockets, and you have little control over software’s development. That’s the nightmare of vendor lock-in.
But fear not! Open-source technology is the shining light that can save you from this dilemma. By using open-source technology, you have full access to the source code, giving you the power to customize and adapt the innovative software development services to meet your specific business needs.
For example, a business that benefited from avoiding vendor lock-in by using open-source technology is Netflix. In 2008, Netflix realized that their platform was built on top of a proprietary solution that was not flexible or scalable enough to handle their growing user base. They decided to switch to open-source technology and build their platform on top of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud infrastructure.
By using AWS, Netflix was able to avoid vendor lock-in and build a highly scalable and flexible platform that could handle their growing user base. This control allows you to develop and maintain the software independently, without the fear of being tied down to a specific vendor.
Unleash your creativity with code
As Chris Aniszczyk, the Vice President of Developer Relations at the Linux Foundation, stated, “With open source software, you have the freedom to control your own destiny. You can take the code and make it your own, or you can work with the community to improve it. The choice is yours.”
So, building a SaaS platform using open-source technology provides businesses with the freedom to customize and modify the codebase to fit their specific needs. With access to the source code, developers can modify the software to add new features, improve functionality, and integrate with other tools and systems.
The Final Words
Tim O’Reilly, the founder of O’Reilly Media, said, “Open source is the secret to innovation at scale. So building a SaaS platform using open-source technology is a smart choice for businesses looking to stay ahead in the competitive landscape of today’s market. In fact, leveraging the capabilities of leading SaaS Development Company, businesses can enjoy faster development cycles, greater flexibility and customization, and lower costs.
At Finoit Technologies, our skilled SaaS development team specializes in utilizing open-source technology to build high-performance, secure and scalable platforms that can help businesses succeed in today’s market. With our expertise in the latest tools and technologies, we can help you develop and deploy your SaaS solution quickly and cost-effectively, while ensuring it meets your specific requirements and industry standards. Connect with the SaaS development team today to learn more about our SaaS development services.
