When the first software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions debuted in the late 1990s, the nature of technology businesses fundamentally changed.
Before, software came with commitment. People paid dearly in time and money for on-premises systems that they could hardly imagine changing. With the rise of cloud-based solutions, all of this changed.
The proliferation of niche platforms, fanned by venture capital rounds, made customer retention a challenge. Although changing SaaS vendors was not without costs, companies gained flexibility to dabble in new technologies on a subscription basis.
