How cloud computing is changing and what you need to know about IaaS, PaaS and SaaS
If you are new to the cloud computing infrastructure there are a few business practices you must know about. Cloud computing has expanded greatly in the last decade and offers more business models than ever before. The 3 major models of current cloud computing are SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service) and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). Depending on your needs these models can greatly optimise your business but first let me explain what each of them do and what they can be used for to alleviate some confusion.
Software as a Service or SaaS for short are commonly known as web applications. They run from the cloud and are usually accessed through the web browser. This eliminates any headaches of installing software or managing updates for hardware for any current or future users. This model is also great for businesses as it takes care of any server maintenance and allows for the product to scale quickly making a great choice for new projects. SaaS is a much more hands off approach when it comes to managing your applications so there is a trade off when it comes to how much control you have over your application features. Saas is also especially good for start-ups as it can be scaled fast and there is no pre-existing software to integrate which is not something SaaS is designed for. SaaS is also great for applications that need to be deployed on multiple platforms such as mobile and in browser.
Platform as a Service or PaaS is the next step in the chain of services if you wish to regain some control over your application and data. You also retain the luxury of having your storage, servers and networking still managed by the provider. Unlike SaaS, PaaS provides a platform for building your business. This allows you to scale your software up or down as your demand changes. It also greatly decreases the amount of code needed to be written allowing for faster development. As with other service models, PaaS provides your development teams a shared development environment where teams can collaborate over the internet. Additional resources could also be purchased when it comes time to testing your new applications and deploying them.
Infrastructure as a Service or IaaS is the last piece of the cloud puzzle. This model is the most customizable to your needs and can be compared to purchasing resources rather than physical servers for your company to expand. This is especially important as it takes care of the storage and maintenance portion of your business while allowing you to scale quickly. Businesses such as AWS, Google Compute and Microsoft Azure allow for a vast variety of services to help make your business effective and efficient. This also comes with some responsibility as with these services you are in charge of runtime and the services you require. With the vast array of services it is important to manage your cost as with an IaaS model you pay for each instance separately. Companies such as CloudOpty can help manage and analyze those services through a wide range of interactive tools. This can ensure that your business is optimized to its full potential.