Open Software Service Definition - Open Definition - Defining Open in Open Data, Open Content and Open Knowledge

"The Open Software Service Definition defines ‘open’ in relation to online (software) services. An online service, also known under the title of Software as a Service (SaaS), is a service provided by a software application running online and making its facilities available to users over the Internet via an interface (be that HTML presented by a web-browser such as Firefox, via a web-API or by any other means). With an online-service, in contrast to a traditional software application, users no longer need to ‘possess’ (own or license) the software to use it. Instead they can simply interact via a standard client (such as web-browser) and pay, where they do pay, for use of the ‘service’ rather than for ‘owning’ (or licensing) the application itself...."