Modern SaaS companies can trace their origins to the 1950s and 1960s with the development of technology time-sharing. At that time, processor machines were massive and outrageously expensive, making them cost-prohibitive for most companies.
As time went on, technology became increasingly affordable and easier to keep internal. But by the mid-90s and early 2000s, as the internet became more publicly accessible, people and organizations began to rely more and more on online connectivity. Early CRM platforms proved the viability of off-premises software solutions, and today, SaaS is one of the most ubiquitous approaches to software licensing in the world.