The as-a-service (*aaS) label has been utilized in every facet of the technological sphere. In fact, there are some within the industry who advocate for an “everything-as-a-service” model, which is simply suggesting that anything can be commoditized – not the most radical statement ever.

Regardless, the as-a-service label is most often associated with cloud computing nomenclature. It refers to the different service models cloud providers offer. There are three main as-a-service categories:

In this article, we’ll unravel the differences, offer examples, and discuss the different use cases by which these models can offer you the most success. 

What Is IaaS, PaaS, And SaaS?

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recognizes three standard cloud computing models of as-a-service: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). 

In effect, each of these models offers a progressive level of abstraction – or management – by the cloud provider. In Figure 1 below, we use the typical technology stack to visualize the progressive service model. 

Figure 1: Understanding IaaS, PaaS, And SaaS Cloud Service Models

Infrastructure-As-A-Service: IaaS Examples And Definitions

In effect: You (the client) still run your applications locally (could be off your local server or desktop – e.g. O365), you store your data locally (on local servers or desktops). The applications you run load locally. Any connectivity to any backend systems you have run locally. Your desktops and servers run their Operating systems locally. If you run servers in the cloud they are run as virtualised servers on someone else’s hardware (AWS, Azure, GCP etc), their servers, using their storage and network infrastructure.

A good example of IaaS is: This website. It is hosted on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) It is run on a virtual machine created on a Google hosted server (virtualisation), using a Linux server, with WordPress software, using cloud storage to store pages and images and its networking infrastructure to make it all available to the public.

Definition: IaaS is the utilization of APIs to manage the lowest levels of network infrastructure, including networking, storage, servers, and virtualization. 

Examples: Rackspace, Digital Ocean, Google Compute Engine, and some deployments of Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Common Use Cases: IaaS is the most flexible service model for cloud computing, so it is especially effective for startups and organizations looking for agile scaling. It is also preferred by businesses that seek greater control over their resources.

Platform-As-A-Service: PaaS Examples And Definitions

Definition: PaaS offers an even greater abstraction of cloud service, offering users the capability to build or deploy applications using tools (i.e. programming languages, libraries, services) without maintaining the underlying infrastructure. Users instead have control over the applications themselves. 

Examples: Salesforce, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Heroku, Google App Engine (GAE), and OpenShift

Common Use Cases: PaaS is highly available and highly scalable, and it gives organizations the ability to build and create new services and solutions without the need for highly skilled developers focused on software maintenance. PaaS is preferred by IT in hybrid cloud environments. 

Software-As-A-Service: SaaS Examples And Definitions

Definition: SaaS enables users to use and access the cloud provider’s applications that are running on the provider’s infrastructure from thin client or program interfaces. 

Examples: There are loads: Google G-Suite, Dropbox, Cisco Webex, Concur, Microsoft O365, Genesys, PayPal

Common Use Cases: SaaS is a comfortable service model for applications that are highly interoperable – used by multiple users internally and externally – and for short-term projects. SaaS models are preferred by small and medium-sized businesses that do not wish to invest heavily in IT maintenance. 

Benefits Of As-A-Service Cloud Models

Each as-a-service model offers a unique set of benefits befitting your specific use case. Traditionally, organizations use a mix of these different models for different aspects of the business; for example, an organization may use the Salesforce platform (PaaS) and Google Docs (SaaS). 

Find out which model best matches your current needs and plans for the future. Talk to us today here at Bulldog IT to receive your free Cloud consolation.