Compliance

One of the earliest challenges for software companies moving to a SaaS model is securely hosting tenant applications on their own infrastructure. This shift transfers the responsibility of operating and maintaining the software securely to the SaaS provider. To meet these obligations, several architectural dimensions should be carefully considered when designing for compliance.

Tenant identity management is a bedrock of compliance in SaaS businesses. It governs how users are authenticated, authorised, and audited, ensuring that only the right users from the right tenants can access the right resources. Strong identity management fuels tenant isolation and makes user actions auditable and secure.

Tenant data isolation works closely with tenant identity management to ensure that every tenant can only access their own data and resources. This separation is essential for maintaining trust, as it prevents cross-tenant data leaks and safeguards sensitive information. It’s also a key factor in meeting regulatory requirements, which is especially important consideration for SaaS providers serving customers across different industries.

Tenancy model defines where a tenant’s data and resources are hosted. By specifying geographic location of storage and compute, it helps organisations navigate challenges like data sovereignty, privacy laws, and cross-border transfer restrictions. It is especially important in industries dealing with sensitive data, as it provides the control needed to meet legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements.

Tenant decommissioning ensures that customer data is handled responsibly at the end of a contract. This process involves securely deleting or archiving all tenant-related information, reducing potential security risks while proving compliance with legal and industry requirements.

A secure and reliable application builds confidence in customers, encouraging them to stick with your service. This trust directly drives adoption rates, since users are likely to commit to a platform they perceive as safe. Without solid security in place, keeping a loyal customer base is nearly impossible for any SaaS provider.