XaaS models are everywhere (“x” as a service).
The appeal of consistent, predictable recurring revenue is what makes this model so attractive to companies of all sizes.
Here are some big categories, along with a few examples.
- SAAS (Software as a Service) – Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce, Hubspot, Dropbox
- PaaS (Platform as a Service) – Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft Azure
- IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) – AWS + Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Google Compute Engine, and Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines
- DaaS (Desktop as a Service) – Amazon WorkSpaces, VMware Horizon Cloud, Citrix
- MaaS (Monitoring as a Service) – Datadog, New Relic, all smart home monitoring
- CaaS (Communication as a Service) – Twilio, RingCentral, Zoom
- CaaS (Content-as-a-service) – Paid news and media apps, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, etc.
- FaaS (Food-as-a-service) – Blue Apron, HelloFresh, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Instacart
- CaaS (Clothing-as-a-service) – Stitch Fix, Trunk Club, Rent-the-Runway
- FaaS (Fitness-as-a-service) – Peloton, Fitbit, Mirror, Tonal