IaaS, PaaS and SaaS in cloud platforms

The majority of modern businesses are moving to the Cloud to become more competitive and agile. Here are three important acronyms to get familiar with: SaaS (Software-as-a-Service), PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service), and IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service). Though as-a-service types are developing rapidly, these types remain the main ones in cloud computing. It is important to understand the difference between the three and be aware of each one’s pros and cons.

Let’s take a closer look:

1. SaaS (Software-as-a-Service)

utilizes the Internet to deliver applications managed by a third-party vendor to its users. Most SaaS applications run directly through your web browser, so they do not require any downloads or installations on the client-side. Its most significant advantage is saving time on installing, managing, and upgrading software. SaaS examples: Google Apps, ZenDesk, Hubspot, SalesForce, Dropbox, WebEx, Cisco.

2. PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service)

is currently the most popular model, hovering well over 35% of all enterprise workloads. It delivers a framework for developers that they can build upon and use to create customized applications. The enterprise or a third-party provider can manage all servers, storage, and networking while the developers can maintain the applications’ management. PaaS Examples: AWS Elastic Beanstalk, OpenShift, Magento Commerce Cloud, Heroku, Google App Engine.

3. IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service)

IaaS gives users a cloud-based alternative to on-premise infrastructure, which allows them to avoid investing in on-site resources, but requires its clients to be responsible for managing applications, runtime, data, etc. IaaS examples: DigitalOcean, Linode, Rackspace, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Compute Engine (GCE).

Each cloud model has its specific features and functionalities, so you might choose the only one to start with or find a need for three, depending on your company’s size and complexity. Whatever option you go for, Cloud is the future of business and technology. We’ll help your migration to Cloud smoothly and cost effectively. Click HERE for more information.