Service as a product (SaaP); pronounced or is a transaction of service production and delivery model in which a productized service is sold by the seller or vendor to the buyer and is centrally hosted, either on a standalone website or an open marketplace platform. It is sometimes referred to as "on-demand service". SaaP is typically accessed by the creator and the consumer by

users Ancient Egyptian roles * User (ancient Egyptian official), an ancient Egyptian nomarch (governor) of the Eighth Dynasty * Useramen, an ancient Egyptian vizier also called "User" Other uses * User (computing) A user is a person who ...

using a

thin client In computer networking, a thin client is a simple (low-performance) computer that has been optimized for establishing a remote connection with a server-based computing environment. They are sometimes known as ''network computers'', or in th ...

via a

web browser A web browser is application software for accessing websites. When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the browser retrieves its files from a web server and then displays the page on the user's screen. Browsers are used o ...

. SaaP has become a delivery model for some businesses, including

small and medium-sized enterprise Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are businesses whose personnel and revenue numbers fall below certain limits. The abbreviation "SME" is used by international organizations such as the World Ban ...

s (SMEs), freelancers, and independent contractors. It has been incorporated into the strategy of several leading web-based marketplace companies including AirBnB, Fiverr, Lyft, TaskRabbit, Uber and others, as listed in the SaaP marketplace platforms section below. Micha Kaufman, the co-founder of the company Fiverr, claims that the company created the concept of SaaP. The company offers as a SaaP service over 2.5 million things people will do for a small, fixed fee.

SaaP marketplace platforms

As of November 1, 2014, a number of SaaP marketplace platforms exist. These include a variety of platforms serving different markets and niches. Currently the marketplaces offering SaaP include brands offering offline services, online services, shift work, and more. Below is a list of known market platforms offering SaaP. There are also other SaaP marketplaces online in the so-called " sharing economy". *

Airbnb Airbnb, Inc. ( ), based in San Francisco, California, operates an online marketplace focused on short-term homestays and experiences. The company acts as a broker and charges a commission from each booking. The company was founded in 2008 b ...

offers a market platform for hosts and guests of Bed and Breakfast, guest housing and other room and board for travellers. *

Etsy Etsy, Inc. is an American e-commerce company focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies. These items fall under a wide range of categories, including jewelry, bags, clothing, home décor and furniture, toys, art, as well as craft ...

is an online market platform for customers shopping for the works of arts and crafts providers. *

Handy (company) Handy is an online two-sided marketplace for residential cleaning, installation, and other home services. Founded in 2012 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the now New York-based company operates services in United States, United Kingdom, and Canada ...

is a market online for and mobile cleaning and home repair booking services. *

Lyft Lyft, Inc. offers mobility as a service, ride-hailing, vehicles for hire, motorized scooters, a bicycle-sharing system, rental cars, and food delivery in the United States and select cities in Canada. Lyft sets fares, which vary using a dyn ...

is a marketplace platform for taxi related car services. * TaskRabbit is a market of service providers and clients in the offline space. Vendors provide services such as gardening, carpentry, plumbing, cleaning, moving and more. * Thumbtack (website) is a marketplace for customers in need of writers and writing and translation services. * Traveling Spoon is a food tourism platform that connects travelers with local hosts who prepare homemade local cuisine in their homes. *

Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), based in San Francisco, provides mobility as a service, ride-hailing (allowing users to book a car and driver to transport them in a way similar to a taxi), food delivery (Uber Eats and Postmates), packa ...

offers

vehicle for hire A vehicle for hire is a vehicle providing private transport or shared transport for a fee, in which passengers are generally free to choose their points or approximate points of origin and destination, unlike public transport, and which th ...

and

food delivery Retail food delivery is a courier service in which a restaurant, store, or independent food-delivery company delivers food to a customer. An order is typically made either through a restaurant or grocer's website or mobile app, or through a food ...

services *

Upwork Upwork Global Inc., formerly Elance-oDesk, is an American freelancing platform headquartered in Santa Clara and San Francisco, California. The company was formed in 2013 as Elance-oDesk, after the merger of Elance Inc. and oDesk Corp. The merg ...

is an online work and performance market for customers and vendors of computer-related services. *

Zipcar Zipcar is an American car-sharing company and a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group. Zipcar provides vehicle reservations to its members, billable by the minute, hour or day; members may have to pay a monthly or annual membership fee in addition ...

is a carsharing company with cars provided and managed by the company. Notable challenges exist in the regulatory space for AirBnB in locations like New York, where unregulated guest housing and hotel services are an issue. Other services like the car-sharing services of Lyft have settled lawsuits and Uber faces opposition from governments and from regulated and licensed taxi services.

References

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