Church software has been dominated in the past by traditional vendors offering what is referred to as client-server software. When this generation of computer application first came out, there were some significant benefits over what was previously provided, which was then called "text-based" or "green screen" applications.

With the advent of the Internet, Web-based applications have yet again caused a leap in the state-of-the-art of computer applications. In fact, this new approach has matured to the point that new Internet-based software using the latest techniques is referred to as Web 2.0 applications. However, as with any application that opens up freer access over the Web, the complexities of security increase as well.

Driving many of the advances in software in the commercial world are software companies known as software on-demand providers, or Software as a Service (SaaS). This is a relatively new model that is causing a profound shift in the way that applications are delivered and consumed. SaaS refers to software that is accessed via a Web browser, usually in a multi-tenant environment and typically on a subscription basis.

Fundamentally different from the traditional model of application delivery in which the customer acquires a perpetual license and assumes responsibility for the software's implementation and ongoing management, SaaS presents significant advantages to customers by taking most of the complications out of operating these new technologies.

In the last several years, this model has been introduced to the church market by several new vendors.

Benefits: Easier Implementation and Less Ongoing Costs
From a church perspective, SaaS is simply an easy, fast and cost-effective way of implementing or consuming software. With SaaS, customers can avoid the high costs associated with acquiring hardware and setting up the infrastructure necessary to run a system.

Because the software is already implemented at the vendor's site and successfully operating other churches, the technical deployment phase of an implementation is reduced to almost nothing. Once a few setup items are completed and the data from the old system is converted, as long as some preliminary user training is completed, some initial capabilities of the system are easily available. Of course, any process changes or new functions not currently performed by the staff must be incorporated into their workload. But, this reduced technical effort enables the organization to focus on the "change management" aspects of "doing church better."

By allowing customers to purchase applications on a "pay as you go" basis, with immediate access to features and functionality, the SaaS model dramatically reduces both the initial costs and the length of time that it takes to recognize immediate "value" from the software.

Additionally, by transitioning the responsibility of deployment and management from the church to the software provider, SaaS forces a vendor to become more attuned to the ongoing performance, security, and overall stability of the system. With a subscription model that is paid over time, rather than one upfront license fee, a SaaS vendor must be more responsive to the ongoing "value" of the application. And because the system is designed to be accessed anywhere, anytime by anyone, that incremental value is derived from the user experience of every person that depends on the information, not just a select few in the back office who customarily use one of the more traditional software packages. This new approach results in the software company being entirely focused on the daily customer experience or risking losing the business altogether.

Furthermore, in a traditional implementation of software locally, the church is responsible for the data security primarily on its own servers and local network. However, if a church wants the information to be accessible on the Web as well, the complexity of data security is compounded significantly. With a SaaS, because its business viability is dependent on not only system performance but also security, the vendor spends significantly more resources to protect its customers' data using sophisticated intrusion detection and security software and techniques that are beyond most churches' budgets.

In addition to reduced upfront costs, the ongoing technical support efforts and costs are reduced as well. With SaaS, any technical aspect of hardware and software upgrades is practically eliminated. Because the software is hosted at the vendor's site, improvements to the system, from new application features to new improved hardware to software security patches for the operating system, are accomplished on the provider's servers. These upgrades are usually performed overnight and are simply made available to the user the next time a person logs on to the system. This eliminates the downtime associated with the traditional systems when technical support personnel need a few days or weeks with the system to try it out before letting the users have access.

As this model evolves, SaaS vendors have begun to allow their customers time in a testing "sand box" to try out new features before they are released into the production. This provides an opportunity for church personnel to test out not just new features but also new processes and procedures before the new features are released.

Finally, a true SaaS is driven off of an integrated database and set of Web services. With SaaS, entering the information in one "module" of the system allows it to be accessible in other parts of the application instantaneously. Furthermore, all ministries can operate off of the same information. For example, when the children's ministry updates one household's telephone number, all other ministries have access to that new information immediately.

The power of this integration, not having to wait overnight for certain batch procedures to "catch the rest of the system up," or not having this information in disparate outlying applications, allows a church staff to react faster to the needs of the congregation. Isn't that what it's all about? The ability to help someone with a problem in a real-time manner is more important than all the technical benefits combined.

The Future of Software
Because the benefits are so dramatic, in the not-too-distant future, nearly all applications will be delivered using the SaaS model. The pressure of Salesforce.com's success has forced many traditional vendors to announce their plans to move to this model. Even the largest independent provider of corporate software, SAP, has announced its plans to move in this direction. Further proof is Google's success (did you realize Google is a SaaS?) and Microsoft's announcement of its SaaS intentions.

With the Internet, software can become easy for everyone, including the church. Using browser-based applications, the ease of the point-and-click, drill-down aspects of Amazon.com is brought to church ministry systems. With SaaS, these easy-to-use browser applications are less complicated and cheaper to implement and operate. Perhaps it is time to update your church's approach to software?

eff Hook is the founder and chief executive officer of Fellowship Technologies, www.fellowshiptech.com , a software company that was spun out of Fellowship Church in 2003. Prior to starting Fellowship Technologies, Jeff was in various roles within the software and management consulting industries for more than 25 years.