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Basics of Cloud Computing: SaaS VS PaaS VS IaaS

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30 November 2021

Gone are the days when on-premises solutions were the go-to choice for businesses. Be it a big enterprise or a small scale business, now, it’s all about leveraging the best cloud solutions for a variety of functions and operations. 
If you are thinking of switching to the cloud for infrastructure deployment or other application requirements, it is crucial that you understand the key differences between the basic cloud solutions available. 
The three most popular as-a-service models are:

  • SaaS (Software as a Service)
  • PaaS (Platform as a Service)
  • IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

As more and more businesses move to the cloud, all these services are experiencing an influx in popularity. 
Let’s take a look at how these solutions work for your business.

SaaS VS PaaS VS IaaS

 

SaaS

With Software as a service in cloud computing, your business can access the vendor’s software available on the cloud. As a user, you need not install any applications on your local devices. The software instead, is made accessible on a remote cloud network that you can connect to using an API or through the web.
Users can assess and keep a record of all the company data whilst collaborating on projects with others via this handy cloud computing solution. 

Key Features of SaaS:

  • Accessible over the internet
  • A third-party provider hosts it on a remote server
  • Depending on the scalability, it can be used by small and medium businesses as well as big corporates
  • Includes compliance, security and maintenance within the price of the software

 

IaaS

With Infrastructure as a service, as a user, your business gains access to handy computing resources like servers, storage and networking. Your company can continue using their own applications and platforms within the service provider’s or vendor’s infrastructural setup. 

Key Features of IaaS:

  • Extremely scalable, not to mention highly flexible
  • Can be accessed by multiple users and devices
  • Cost-efficient, which makes being on a budget easy

 

PaaS

If you wish to work in a cloud environment that you can develop and adjust to your company’s preferences, while managing and delivering applications all on your own, then PaaS is the best cloud service for you. Apart from nifty computing resources and storage, your business gains access to an entire suite of pre-installed tools that you can use to personalise, develop and test your own applications. 

Key Features of PaaS:

  • Can be accessed by multiple users at a time
  • High scalability as you can choose from a range of tiers to complement the size and complexity of your business
  • Built using virtualisation technology
  • Simple to run and operate with minimal knowledge of system administration required

 

Quick Recap of SaaS, PaaS and IaaS Cloud Solutions

  • With SaaS, you can leverage in-built and ready-to-use solutions that can assist you with specific business needs like an email campaign or a website. Almost all modern SaaS platforms are built using PaaS and IaaS platforms.
  • To reduce the need for extensive system administration, PaaS is often built using an IaaS platform as the base. It enables you to concentrate on the development of an application and not worry about the management and maintenance of the infrastructure.
  • If hosting custom-built applications is what you want, IaaS is the best cloud solution as it offers maximum flexibility, not to mention, it provides data storage too with its dedicated data centre. 

 

Basic Cloud Solutions Summed Up

Given what each of these cloud services offers to businesses, it is hardly surprising that their availability has drastically reduced the need for on-premise hosting. 
All these cloud computing server models equip and empower businesses with choice, flexibility, scalability and a variety of options. The same cannot be said about on-premise hosting. 
At Redpalm we bring to you the best of what IT has to offer in a safe, secure and efficient manner. Our Hybrid IT Infrastructure is a popular choice for you if you are looking to leverage the best of both on-premise and cloud.
Book your IT consultation with us today to find the best tech solution for your business.

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