There is a revolution going on in dental insurance software. The industry is embracing a new concept in software design known as Software as a Service or SaaS. Those of us who don't know a gigahertz from a megabyte might wonder what all the fuss is about.

What Is Software as a Service?

In traditional dental insurance software design, an application comes on a CD-ROM or DVD. When you install the software it copies the application onto that computer. If you need to install it on several computers, you have to by multiple copies of the software and install it on each machine.

Dental insurance software designed using the SaaS model keeps the software on a central computer called a server. Each computer using the software needs only a small client program to access the server over a network. Very large companies might run their own servers, but a typical dental office would access the software over the internet on servers provided by the software manufacturer.

But how does this arrangement benefit the customer?

Technical Advantages of SaaS

When an office has a complex dental insurance software package, many things can go wrong. Dental practices can't afford full-time computer support staff so depend on the software company's tech support. When using SaaS, the software is maintained directly by the publisher. If anything goes wrong, they have a team of IT professionals who address the problem immediately. The small, simple client program each dental office uses seldom has technical problems, so the office no longer has to deal with software headaches.

Another problem with traditional software is staying on top of the latest version. Companies must regularly check for updates then download large files to be installed on top of the existing application. If anything goes wrong during the upgrade, it could require complete reinstallation. With SaaS, the software at the remote server is automatically upgraded as new versions come out.

Administrative Benefits of SaaS

A huge obstacle faced by offices looking for dental insurance software is cost. These packages can cost thousands of dollars and many small practices can't afford the capital outlay. Without the benefits the software provides, they find it hard to stay competitive.

SaaS software is funded differently. Rather than a huge initial purchase, you pay a small fee every month for access to the service. The cost is lower and easier for small offices to absorb into their book.

The SaaS dental insurance software can be accessed from any computer with the client. Dentists can access patient records from home or from remote offices. If the practice buys new computers, it isn't necessary to copy patient information over to the new machines.

It's easy to see why SaaS is the new trend in all software design. It won't be long before the traditional model of computer program design is a thing of the past.