What is PaaS? (And Which Hosting Provider Is Best To Deliver It In 2020)
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What Is PaaS?
Cloud computing consists of three basic service models, or layers: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).
PaaS is a relatively new cloud computing model for developing and running applications over the internet — as a service.
Using PaaS eliminates the complexity and expenses of buying, configuring, and maintaining all the hardware and software components needed for application development and rapid deployment.
All services required for the application development process are integrated in PaaS plans.
PaaS service providers support and manage all computing and software components of the platform, so users can immediately log in and start using the platform — usually through a web browser.
Most of the available PaaS platforms are software development oriented and they offer many advantages over traditional hosting.
What Are the Advantages of PaaS?
The biggest advantage of the PaaS service model is that it eliminates the need for dedicated in-house hardware and software for application development.
All of these resources are virtualized and instantly available on PaaS solutions.
Many companies already have their own IT departments, data centers and staff, but PaaS can be an attractive option for them as well.
Using PaaS solutions can reduce maintenance costs and the work needed to keep the infrastructure running.
Building a traditional enterprise IT infrastructure requires a lot of investment in redundancy to increase service availability time.
PaaS relies on third-party infrastructure: data centers and hardware resources of the cloud provider. This way PaaS can guarantee service availability and redundancy.
PaaS services also make you independent in choosing your location, or the location of your developers.
Since PaaS services are usually accessed through a web browser, all you need is internet connectivity.
PaaS also allows remote teams of developers to easily collaborate on projects from multiple locations and time zones.
PaaS service providers charge a flat monthly fee or a per-use fee for access to the platform. This makes PaaS attractive to start-up companies, as it minimizes investments in their own IT infrastructure.
Application development in PaaS is often faster, as there is no time spent on troubleshooting and configuring the underlying IT infrastructure.
It is also important to note that many PaaS service providers offer free access to individual developers, with certain limitations.
They want to get them hooked on their platform and keep them on board when they start creating more elaborate projects.
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