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Interacting with SaaS

Direct Interaction – By going to the SaaS website or using their native app you can use their service
Client Applications – Third party Native applications that can communicate with the SaaS such as Outlook.
Integrated Partners – Other SaaS companies that integrate with the SaaS such as Quickbooks, or MailChimp to expand on the feature set
API’s – API’s allow you to code your own solutions that can communicate with SaaS provider
API’s Considerations

Languages – API’s require you to use specific languages to communicate with them
Costs – cost scales with use, but can become astronomical.
Limits – API’s generally have limits on usage which can be confusing to fully understand.
Legal Compliance

Data Location – Many countries now require their citizens data to be stored on servers with their country. Some SaaS providers allow you to specify where data is stored.
PCI/ HIPPA – Laws regarding how credit card and health information stipulate specific ways this data must be stored. Compliant SaaS providers follow these standards.
Data Portability

Data Portability allows you to export your data from SaaS solutions.
Just because you can export your data does not mean the data will be in a format you know how to use.