Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software as a Service (SaaS) is software that is centrally hosted and managed for the end customer. It allows users to connect to and use cloud-based apps over the internet. Common examples are email, calendars, and office tools such as Microsoft Office 365.

Software as a Service (SaaS) is typically licensed through a monthly or annual subscription, and Office 365 is an example of Software as a Service (SaaS) software.

Software as a Service (SaaS) characteristics

Upfront Costs - Users have no upfront costs; they pay a subscription, typically on a monthly or annual basis.

User Ownership - Users just use the application software; they are not responsible for any maintenance or management of that software.

Cloud Provider Ownership - The cloud provider is responsible for the provision, management, and maintenance of the application software.

Disadvantages of Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software limitations - There may be some limitations to a software application that might affect how users work. Since you are using as-is software you don't have direct control of features. Any business needs and software limitations should be taken into consideration when considering which SaaS platform is best suited for a workload.

Common usage of Software as a Service (SaaS)

Examples of Microsoft Software as a Service (SaaS) services include Office 365, Skype, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online.

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Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides an environment for building, testing, and deploying software applications. The goal of Platform as a Service (PaaS) is to help create an application as quickly as possible without having to worry about managing the underlying infrastructure. For example, when deploying a web application using Platform as a Service (PaaS), you don't have to install an operating system, web server, or even system updates. Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a complete development and deployment environment in the cloud, with resources that enable organizations to deliver everything from simple cloud-based apps to sophisticated cloud-enabled enterprise applications.

Resources are purchased from a cloud service provider on a pay-as-you-go basis and accessed over a secure Internet connection.

Platform as a Service (PaaS) Characteristics

Upfront Costs - There are no upfront costs, and users pay only for what they consume.

User Ownership - The user is responsible for the development of their own applications. However, they are not responsible for managing the server or infrastructure. This allows the user to focus on the application or workload they want to run.

Cloud Provider Ownership - The cloud provider is responsible for operating system management, and network and service configuration. Cloud providers are typically responsible for everything apart from the application that a user wants to run. They provide a complete managed platform on which to run an application.

Disadvantages of Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Platform Limitations - There may be some limitations to a cloud platform that could affect how an application runs. Any limitations should be taken into consideration when considering which Platform as a Service (PaaS) platform is best suited for a workload.

Common usage of Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Development Framework - Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides a framework that developers can build upon to develop or customize cloud-based applications. Similar to the way you create a Microsoft Excel macro, Platform as a Service (PaaS) lets developers create applications using built-in software components. Cloud features such as scalability, high-availability, and multi-tenant capability are included, reducing the amount of coding that developers must do.

Analytics or Business Intelligence - Tools provided as a service with Platform as a Service (PaaS) allow organizations to analyze and mine their data. They can find insights and patterns, and predict outcomes to improve business decisions such as forecasting, product design, and investment returns.

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Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the most basic category of cloud computing services. With Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), you rent IT infrastructure servers and virtual machines (VMs), storage, networks, and operating systems from a cloud provider on a pay-as-you-go basis. It's an instant computing infrastructure, provisioned and managed over the internet.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Characteristics

Upfront Costs - Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) has no upfront costs. Users pay only for what they consume.

User Ownership - The user is responsible for the purchase, installation, configuration, and management of their own software operating systems, middle ware, and applications.

Cloud Provider Ownership - The cloud provider is responsible for ensuring that the underlying cloud infrastructure (such as virtual machines, storage and networking) is available for the user.

Disadvantages of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Management - The shared responsibility model applies; the user manages and maintains the services they have provisioned, and the cloud provider manages and maintains the cloud infrastructure.

Common usage of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Migrating Workloads - Typically, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) facilities are managed in a similar way as on-premises infrastructure and provide an easy migration path for moving existing applications to the cloud.

Test and Development - Teams can quickly set up and dismantle test and development environments, bringing new applications to market faster. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) makes scaling development testing environments up and down fast and economical.

Website Hosting - Running websites using Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) can be less expensive than traditional web hosting.

Storage, Backup, and Recovery - Organizations avoid the capital outlay and complexity of storage management, which typically requires a skilled staff to manage data and meet legal and compliance requirements. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is useful for managing unpredictable demand and steadily growing storage needs. It can also simplify the planning and management of backup and recovery systems.

When using Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), ensuring that a service is up and running is a shared responsibility: the cloud provider is responsible for ensuring the cloud infrastructure is functioning correctly; the cloud customer is responsible for ensuring the service they are using is configured correctly, is up to date, and is available to their customers.

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Type of Cloud Computing Services

Cloud Computing Services are service deployment models that let you choose the level of control over your information and types of services you need to provide. There are three main types of cloud computing services, sometimes called the cloud computing stack because they build on top of one another.

1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the most basic category of cloud computing services. With Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), you rent IT infrastructure servers and virtual machines (VMs), storage, networks, and operating systems from a cloud provider on a pay-as-you-go basis. It's an instant computing infrastructure, provisioned and managed over the internet.

2. Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides an environment for building, testing, and deploying software applications. The goal of Platform as a Service (PaaS) is to help create an application as quickly as possible without having to worry about managing the underlying infrastructure. For example, when deploying a web application using Platform as a Service (PaaS), you don't have to install an operating system, web server, or even system updates. Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a complete development and deployment environment in the cloud, with resources that enable organizations to deliver everything from simple cloud-based apps to sophisticated cloud-enabled enterprise applications.

Resources are purchased from a cloud service provider on a pay-as-you-go basis and accessed over a secure Internet connection.

3. Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software as a Service (SaaS) is software that is centrally hosted and managed for the end customer. It allows users to connect to and use cloud-based apps over the internet. Common examples are email, calendars, and office tools such as Microsoft 365.

Software as a Service (SaaS) is typically licensed through a monthly or annual subscription, and Microsoft 365 is an example of Software as a Service (SaaS) software.

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