On-Premise Requirements & Network Access

This question asks if your customer needs to install anything in their own IT environment or open up their network security to make your solution work. Think of it like this: Do they need to put a box in their server room? Install software on their servers? Or punch holes in their digital security walls so your team can connect to their systems? Most modern SaaS solutions avoid this entirely by being cloud-based, but some solutions still require on-premise components for performance, compliance, or integration reasons.

Requiring on-premise deployment or network access creates significant friction in your sales process. IT teams hate managing additional infrastructure and security teams despise opening firewall ports - both can become deal-killers. This approach increases your customer's operational burden, security risk, and total cost of ownership. It also limits your ability to scale quickly since each deployment becomes a custom project. However, some industries or use cases demand on-premise options for regulatory or performance reasons. If you must go this route, be prepared for longer sales cycles, higher support costs, and the need for specialized technical staff.

Companies often underestimate the security implications of requiring firewall exceptions - each open port is a potential attack vector that security teams will scrutinize. Another mistake is claiming to be 'cloud-based' while still requiring on-premise agents or connectors for core functionality. Be transparent about all components, including optional ones, as surprise requirements discovered late in the sales process erode trust and can kill deals.