Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a cloud computing model that delivers a platform to users, allowing them to develop, run, and manage applications without the complexity of building and maintaining the infrastructure typically associated with developing and deploying an app.
PaaS can be delivered in three ways:
- Public PaaS: Services provided through a public cloud provider. Users access the services over the internet.
- Private PaaS: Services provided within an organization’s private infrastructure or behind a firewall.
- Hybrid PaaS: Services that use elements from both public and private PaaS.
The PaaS model includes infrastructure – servers, storage, and networking – but also middleware, development tools, business intelligence (BI) services, database management systems, and more. This is particularly beneficial for developers, as it frees them from worrying about system infrastructure, capacity planning, software maintenance, patches, etc., and allows them to focus purely on the development of the software.
Key benefits of PaaS include:
- Cost-effectiveness: It reduces the amount of coding necessary, automates business policy, and includes sophisticated development and deployment tools, which can save considerable costs over time.
- Speed to market: As it streamlines the development process, PaaS can help applications to reach the market more quickly.
- Scalability: Similar to IaaS, resources can be scaled up or down with demand, making PaaS solutions suitable for businesses with peak workloads.
- Innovation: PaaS allows developers to focus on coding new applications, not on time-consuming infrastructure and maintenance tasks.
Some examples of PaaS providers include Google App Engine, Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud Foundry, Heroku, and AWS Elastic Beanstalk.