Overcoming multi-tenancy challenges can enhance productivity

As a software developer, you may already be well aware of the cloud's strong reputation for improving efficiency and reducing costs. Clients want software delivered on this model, and you want to develop on it. So what's the hold-up? The answer may have to do with the new development needs brought about by the cloud. Deploying a Software-as-a-Service application which operates efficiently through the use of multi-tenancy is a strong goal, but actually getting from point A to point B may require new and amended practices. Fortunately, there are tools on the market to help you include these qualities in your new products.

The march to multi-tenant deployments
Users of cloud applications want the convenience of SaaS, but they don't want to deal with any unnecessary risk. This is one of the ways in which multi-tenancy is a balancing act. This process grants many different users access to the same software without putting their privileged information at risk, a combination that may seem too good to be true at first glance.

There are expensive and complicated ways to build these capabilities into apps, but thankfully they are not the only answers. Progress® OpenEdge®, for example, can introduce physical separation between the data provided by various clients on a database level. This takes away the need to code the multi-tenancy features into the applications themselves. Software developers will thank you for any deployment that means they have less to worry about, and this may also help the apps debut quickly. Rapid application development is a cherished goal in today's competitive environment, and eliminating steps is one way to move in that direction.

The benefits of multi-tenancy
The positive outcomes of deploying true SaaS applications are numerous and include a new ease to processes like software upgrades. Once upon a time, all users of an application had to download patches to each machine on which the software was installed. SaaS deployments turn this into a one-step process on the provider's end. Update an instance, and every client with access is suddenly running the new release. Managing versions of the software is easier for the developer, and users will enjoy the streamlined approach, too.

When the software market shifts and changes, everyone can go at once. This means that with SaaS taking on a big role in the industry, it may soon be difficult to excite clients about applications that have all the legacy drawbacks. It may prove advantageous to adopt tools such as Progress® OpenEdge® that grant the capabilities the market demands.

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