The cloud is one of the hottest topics for both giant firms and small businesses. When we talk about cloud then you need to know that we are talking about a very broad topic that covers a big portion of the modern-day internet.
You can say that the modern-day internet is based on cloud and without cloud computing, the whole internet platform will crumble down. But cloud is not limited to only uploading pictures on social media and using Google Drive, the amazing cloud computing platform has many applications and this is why so many businesses are flocking to the cloud computing platform.
If you are planning to move to the cloud then you will need to understand the cloud computing platform in a detailed way. You might be thinking that shifting to cloud computing means just choosing a cloud computing application and making the move. But there are different types of cloud computing applications and it is very necessary for you to get familiar with all those applications. Without the knowledge of these applications, you will always remain blank about the cloud and you will never be able to reap the advantages of cloud while unlocking its true power.
This is why, in this blog post, we will try to understand the different types of platforms of cloud and know which one is better for you.
Software as a Service
Software as a service is also known as cloud application service and it represents the most commonly used form of cloud for businesses. In the Software as a Service cloud platform, the cloud service is delivered through the internet and it is basically managed by a third party vendor. You should know that most of the Software as a Service application can be directly accessed from your web browser. This means that if you are looking forward to access the Software as a Service application then you will have to just open your browser, go to the URL of the Software as a Service application, enter your credential and you will be ready with your Software as a Service application.
How is Software as a Service delivered to the users?
You should know that, since Software as a Service is a cloud-based delivery, the user of Software as a Service doesn’t’ need to hire IT staff for looking after the installation of software on every desktop and then managing it. In Software as a Service, the vendor manages all the IT issues and manages it through a team of expert so that you will have to focus only on your job. Data, server, middleware, storage, all these things are handled by the third-party vendor.
What are the perks of using Software as a Service?
One of the biggest advantages of Software as a Service is that it allows the user to cut downtime and effort spent on IT tasks such as installation, storage, management, and upgaradation. This is the main reason why so many businesses and people flock towards SaaS cloud platform. Some of the most common features of SaaS are; it is managed from a central location, it is hosted on a remote server and it is accessible over the internet, mainly through web browser.
Platform as a Service
The Platform as a Service is also known as cloud platform service and it provides cloud components for particular software but mainly it is used for applications. Platform as a Service offers a well-built framework for the developers that can be used to make customized applications. The network, server, and storage can be managed by either the firm itself or it can also be managed by the third-party vendor. But even when Platform as a Service is managed by third-party vendors, the developers can manage the application.
How is Platform as a Service delivered to the users?
The delivery of Platform as a Service is very similar to Software as a Service but instead of providing the application on the internet through a web browser, the Platform as a Service offers a framework for software development. But the best part about Platform as a Service is that the framework is delivered over the internet and because of this, the developers don’t have to worry about operating system, storage, and any other thing and they can focus on their software development.
What are the perks of using Platform as a Service?
Some of the most common advantages of using Platform as a Service are scalability, cost-effectiveness, automation, easy migration, easy app customization without worrying about software maintenance and much more.
Infrastructure as a Service
The Infrastructure as a Service is also known as cloud infrastructure service and it is made of highly scalable and advanced computing resources. But instead of being managed by a third party vendor, the storage, network, and servers needs to be self-serviced. With the help of Infrastructure as a Service, firms can buy resources on demand and as per their need instead of buying the entire hardware at one go.
How is Infrastructure as a Service delivered to users?
You should know that the cloud components like storage, network and server are delivered over a virtualization technology in the case of Infrastructure as a Service. The cloud server is offered to the firm basically through an API or a dashboard and that gives the organization full control over the infrastructure. Unlike PaaS and SaaS, the users are responsible for managing the network, server, and storage. But Infrastructure as a Service provider manages the virtualization, networking, and hard drives.
What are the advantages of Infrastructure as a Service?
One of the best advantages of Infrastructure as a Service is that it is the most flexible cloud computing platform. In addition to this, it is highly scalable and hardware purchases can be based on consumption. The only drawback of this cloud model is that a major part of cloud component needs to be managed by the user himself.