Cloud/SaaS

A service provider that enables data access on demand to users regardless of their geographic location. Also called Data as a Service (DaaS), data services are similar to Software as a Service (SaaS) in that the information is stored in the cloud and is accessible by a wide range of systems and devices. Data services can eliminate redundancy and streamline costs by housing critical data in one location, enabling the data to be accessed and/or updated by multiple users while ensuring a single point for updates. Potential drawbacks to data services include server downtime from the data service provider, data loss in the event of a disaster, and the security of the data, both in its stored location and in the transmission of the data among users.