Whether you call it software on demand or software as a service, the idea is the same: You use software on the Web instead of installing it on your hard drives, and you pay as you go. Salesforce.com and NetSuite led the way with hosted customer relationship management services, but now all sorts of software makers are offering hosted versions of their programs. Even Microsoft, the king of packaged software, has recently taken baby steps toward offering hosted versions of its software, including Office Live Workspace, which allows users to share and view Microsoft Office documents online. (Of course, to edit documents, users must have Office installed on their computers.) Using hosted software saves companies both a hefty up-front license fee and the cost of having techies install and troubleshoot programs. Plus, companies can easily cut back or increase the number of users as needed.