BlogIaaS, PaaS, or SaaS: Which is Better For My Business?

The three most common types of cloud    When referencing computing, the term 'cloud' refers to the generalisation of interconnected computers and services running on the Internet,... service offerings are IaaS, PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure..., and SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the.... They are also known as cloud    When referencing computing, the term 'cloud' refers to the generalisation of interconnected computers and services running on the Internet,... service models or cloud computing  The phrase cloud computing refers to any software running on infrastructure provided by a PaaS such as Microsoft Azure,... service models.

IaaS, or infrastructure as a service, provides on-demand access to cloud-hosted physical and virtual servers, storage, and networking – the backendThe term backend refers to code on a server or serverless functions that run in the background. A user does... IT infrastructure for running cloud-based applications and workloads.

PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure..., or platform as a service, is a cloud-hosted platform that provides on-demand access to a complete, ready-to-use platform for developing, running, maintaining, and managing applications.

Software as a service, or SaaS, provides on-demand access to ready-to-use, cloud-hosted application software.

IaaS, PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure..., and SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... do not have to be mutually exclusive. Many mid-sized businesses use multiple, and the majority of large enterprises use all three.

 

What is IaaS?

Benefits of IaaS

IaaS cloud    When referencing computing, the term 'cloud' refers to the generalisation of interconnected computers and services running on the Internet,... infrastructure provides businesses and administrators with the most control and power over software and hardware. It also has the following benefits:

• IaaS allows customers to build out computing resources as needed. And scale them up or down in response to traffic spikes or slowdowns.
• Customers can avoid the upfront cost and overhead of purchasing and maintaining their own on-premises data center by using IaaS.
• It eliminates the constant trade-off between the waste of purchasing excess on-premises capacity. This is to accommodate spikes and the poor performance that can occur because of not enough capacity to accommodate unanticipated traffic bursts or growth.
• With IaaS, a company can easily create redundant servers, even in different geographies, to ensure availability during local power outages or physical disasters.
• IaaS customers can locate apps and services closer to users to minimize latency and maximize performance because IaaS providers typically operate data centers in multiple geographies.

Cons of IaaS

The main disadvantage of using an IaaS tool is that you are still responsible for technological security. Furthermore:

• You must ensure that your apps and operating systems are functioning properly and providing the highest level of security.
• You are in charge of the data and if lost, you’re responsible to recover it.
• IaaS tools are also the most hands-on because they provide the most control. IaaS providers only provide the servers and their APIAn API is an Application Programming Interface. APIs are used to allow systems to retrieve data from other systems. It..., and you must configure everything else.

What is PaaS?

Platform as a service (PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure...) is a complete cloud    When referencing computing, the term 'cloud' refers to the generalisation of interconnected computers and services running on the Internet,... development and deploymentDeployment is the process of releasing your application or software out onto the specific environment where it will need to... environment with resources to deliver everything from simple cloud-based apps to sophisticated, cloud-enabled enterprise applications. 

You pay a cloud    When referencing computing, the term 'cloud' refers to the generalisation of interconnected computers and services running on the Internet,... service provider on a pay-as-you-go basis for the resources you require. And access them via a secure Internet connection.

It provides a framework for developers to use when creating custom applications. PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure... is a platform that developers can use to create online software and apps rather than delivering software over the internet.

PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure..., like IaaS, includes infrastructure as well as middleware, development tools, business intelligence services, databaseA database is a storage mechanism which allows you to store structured or unstructured data for future keeping. You can... management systems, and other services. It is also intended to aid in the development, testing, deploymentDeployment is the process of releasing your application or software out onto the specific environment where it will need to..., management, and updating of web applications.

The cloud    When referencing computing, the term 'cloud' refers to the generalisation of interconnected computers and services running on the Internet,... services provider hosts, manages, and maintains all of the platform’s hardware and software. Including servers for development, testing, and deploymentDeployment is the process of releasing your application or software out onto the specific environment where it will need to..., operating system (OS) software, storage, networking, databases, middleware, runtimes, frameworks, and development tools, security, operating system and software upgrades, backups, and other services.

Users gain access to the PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure... via a graphical user interface (GUI). It’s where development or DevOpsDevOps is a term that describes development and operations as they apply to software development. Prior to the use of... teams can collaborate on all aspects of the application lifecycle, including coding, integration, testing, delivery, deploymentDeployment is the process of releasing your application or software out onto the specific environment where it will need to..., and feedback.

Benefits of PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure...

PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure... provides the same benefits as IaaS by providing infrastructure as a service. However, its additional features—middleware, development tools, and other business tools—provide you with additional benefits:

• Reduce coding time. With pre-coded application components built into the platform, such as workflow, directory services, security features, search, and so on. PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure... development tools can reduce the time it takes to code new apps.
• Increase development capabilities without increasing staff. PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure... components can provide new capabilities to your development team without the need for additional staff with the necessary skills.
• Develop for multiple platforms, including mobile, with greater ease. Some service providers provide development options for multiple platforms, such as computers, mobile devices, and browsers, making cross-platform apps faster and easier to create.

Additionally:

• PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure... tools are simple to use and register for.
• Developers can work together on a single app with other developers.
• Developers can easily customize and update apps without having to worry about backendThe term backend refers to code on a server or serverless functions that run in the background. A user does... software maintenance. Simply code and go.
• If the app’s adoption and usage increase, PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure... platforms provide great flexibility and scalability.

Cons of PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure...

The PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure... model only allows you to control what is built on the platform. And that’s a disadvantage. If there is an outage or a problem with the hardware or operating system, the software will be lost.

• The cloud    When referencing computing, the term 'cloud' refers to the generalisation of interconnected computers and services running on the Internet,... provider is in charge of security, leaving businesses vulnerable to the whims of others.

• Infrastructure Issues: Performance is frequently dependent on a company’s own infrastructure. Other issues may arise if the available options are unable to meet the demands of a PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure... solution. This could imply investing in on-site infrastructure updates or switching to an IaaS provider.

• Compatibility Issues: Users may encounter difficulties of their existing operations are incompatible with current hardware. The providers generally customize the PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure... products, so users must accept whatever defaults the provider chooses, regardless of potential technological or operational incompatibilities.

• Lack of Scalability: PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure... options are less flexible than IaaS solutions. The overall technology is a little more rigid. This can also be a problem for businesses that experience significant seasonality and periods of unusually high demand throughout the year.

What is SaaS?

The most popular option for businesses in the cloud    When referencing computing, the term 'cloud' refers to the generalisation of interconnected computers and services running on the Internet,... market is Software as a Service, also known as cloud    When referencing computing, the term 'cloud' refers to the generalisation of interconnected computers and services running on the Internet,... application services.

Users can connect to and use cloud-based apps via the Internet using SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the.... Email, calendaring, and office tools are common examples (such as Microsoft Office 365).

SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... is a complete software solution that you can purchase from a cloud    When referencing computing, the term 'cloud' refers to the generalisation of interconnected computers and services running on the Internet,... service provider on a pay-as-you-go basis. You rent the use of an app for your organization, and your users access it via the Internet, typically via a web browser. 

The service provider’s data center houses all of the underlying infrastructure, middleware, app software, and app data. The service provider manages the hardware and software, and with the appropriate service agreement, will ensure the app’s availability and security, as well as the security of your data.

Email, social media, and cloud    When referencing computing, the term 'cloud' refers to the generalisation of interconnected computers and services running on the Internet,... file storage solutions (such as Dropbox or Box) are all examples of SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... applications that people use on a daily basis.

Benefits of SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the...

The most significant advantage of using SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... products is how simple they are to set up and use. All you have to do is log in to start using the applications since SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... products are cloud-based. And there is no need to host the software locally on on-premises servers.

• The main advantage of SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... is that it transfers all infrastructure and application management to the SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... vendor.
• Many SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... products provide a free trial period or low monthly fees, allowing customers to test the software to see if it meets their needs with little or no financial risk.
• SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... apps are on any device that has a browser and an internet connection.
• Adding new users is as easy as registering and paying for new seats; customers can purchase additional data storage for a small fee.

Cons of SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the...

Because of the ease of use of SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... tools, there is a significant disadvantage. When you use a SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... product, you have no control over the cloud-based infrastructure it runs on, so if the software provider goes down, so do you. 

Using SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... looks to be a very viable option for most businesses, but there are some downsides too. We have listed the additional disadvantages of SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... development here:

• SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... tools may be incompatible with other tools and hardware in use at your company.
• Integrations are typically handled by the provider, so “patching” an integration on your end is impossible.
• You’re at the mercy of the SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... company’s security measures — if a leak occurs, all of your and your company’s data could be compromised.
• When collaborating with an external SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... service provider to host multiple apps, an integration issue with existing in-house software may arise. The internal APIs and data structures may not work properly with external software. As a result, for better results, you should always perform compatibility checks with all SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... applications.

Which is better?

IaaS, PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure..., and SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the...: these cloud    When referencing computing, the term 'cloud' refers to the generalisation of interconnected computers and services running on the Internet,... services are best suited to different types of businesses.

Each cloud computing  The phrase cloud computing refers to any software running on infrastructure provided by a PaaS such as Microsoft Azure,... service has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. And you can simply select the service that best meets your needs. 

Let’s review.

• IaaS is designed to give you the most flexibility when it comes to hosting custom-built apps and providing a general data center for data storage.

• PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure... is typically built on top of an IaaS platform to reduce the need for system administration. It allows you to concentrate on app development rather than infrastructure management.

• SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... provides ready-to-use, out-of-the-box solutions that address a specific business need. The majority of modern SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the... platforms are based on IaaS or PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure... platforms.

Depending on the size and complexity of your business, you may choose to begin with one cloud computing  The phrase cloud computing refers to any software running on infrastructure provided by a PaaS such as Microsoft Azure,... service model. Or discover a need for all these three: IaaS, PaaSThe term PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a model that gives you access to hardware infrastructure..., and SaaSThe term SaaS stands for Software as a Service. SaaS is an evolution of an application that runs on the....