Explaining the ongoing evolution from client-server to cloud-native, source of much confusion and misdirection when comparing SaaS offerings There are many definitions of software as a service (SaaS).

Servers and clients are the building blocks of computer networks Client-server networking grew in popularity during the 1990s as personal computers became the alternative to mainframe computers.

The primary function of a client-server system is to create a division of labor between a centralized server and the individual computers that are running your software.