Software as a service is the idea that clients access and use software using a thin client or a web browser. The software itself is running on computers accessible through the Internet ("in the cloud"). Clients usually pay a fee to get access to the software. The benefit of this approach is that clients do not need to manage the software installation, and that they also do not need expensive hardware. One of the problems is that the data is also on the site of the company running the software - that is "in the cloud". Getting the data may be difficult, if the software vendor goes bankrupt. 