One of the effects of technology and the internet is that it has redefined the way we do a lot of things. From businesses practices to relaxation and communication, there is a wholesome change in the way we carry out these activities. 

This disruption was also observed in the IT business space and a resounding example is the adoption of cloud-based solutions. Nowadays, businesses and corporate organizations are preferring software, services, and infrastructures hosted on the cloud and offered as a service. 

This is against the trend of using on premise solutions and IT infrastructures.  

In this article, we will discuss the three major facets of cloud-based IT solutions, namely, IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. As you may have guessed, these are abbreviations and this article will discuss the meaning of these abbreviations, how they work, and the best ways for businesses to use them. 

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Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Also known as Cloud Infrastructure Services, IaaS is an array of automated computer resources that are highly scalable. IT organizations need infrastructures such as storage and networking to function optimally. 

What IaaS does is that it allows you to buy these resources on-demand (whenever you need them) as opposed to purchasing hardware versions of these infrastructures which is usually costly. As a result, IT organizations can offer flexible services and cater to the needs of their clients more effectively. 

For any organization trying to delve into cloud computing, IaaS is considered one of the basic layers. Reasonably so, as you cannot carry out efficient operations without the necessary infrastructures. 

What makes IaaS more interested and enticing to IT organizations is that there is no difference between the physical servers and hardware that the company would have spent a huge amount of capital to buy and the virtual resources and components hosted on the internet.

The organization just gets to save more money, space and operate more flexibly and efficiently with the cloud-based resources. 

When to Use IaaS

There is no perfect time for an organization to start using IaaS. Whether you are a small organization or a large IT company, you can always move towards IaaS. 

For small IT companies, you can escape the huge capital outlay that comes with buying expensive hardware by opting for cloud-based infrastructure. You also get to save time and human resources, you don’t have large data centers to operate and maintain. 

Large organizations can also get to enjoy a lot when they opt for IaaS. It is a more effective way to manage apps and ensure that only required resources are used. Companies currently experiencing rapid growth can also key into the scalability of IaaS. 

IaaS Delivery

When an organization opts for an IaaS service, they get a full range of cloud-based resources including servers, data centers or storage, network, and operating systems. All of these infrastructures are delivered through a virtualization process with the use of a dashboard or an API. 

The use of an API or dashboard allocates the total control of the resources to the organization. Assuming the total control of cloud infrastructure shouldn’t scare you. It is the same way you operate physical data centers. The only difference is that these data centers are hosted or outsourced on the cloud. 

While you assume control of the infrastructures, the IaaS provider manages and maintains the infrastructures. What this means is that you need not worry about maintaining the cloud-based resources like servers, data centers, and the rest. The provider takes care of that. This is one of the advantages of opting for IaaS. 

However, your organization will be in charge of applications, runtimes, OSes, data, and middleware. 

Companies Offering IaaS

Numerous IT companies are offering Cloud Infrastructure Services. Some of these companies are quite popular and others are not popular. Examples include;

  • Google Compute Engine (GCE)
  • Amazon Web Services (AWS)
  • Microsoft Azure
  • IBM Cloud
  • Cisco Metacloud
  • Rackspace
  • Vultr
  • Digital Ocean
  • Oracle Cloud
  • Linode

Advantages of IaaS

The following are some of the features of Infrastructure as a Service;

Cloud-Based Resources

This is the core of the IaaS concept. Your resources are hosted in the cloud (or on the internet) and you don’t need hardware or physical objects to access them. All you need is an API or dashboard provided by the IaaS provider and you are good to go.

Cost is proportional to consumption

This is one of the enticing features of IaaS. You only pay or buy what you need and nothing else. This is opposed to the use of an on-premise solution, where you need to get all the hardware involved, regardless of whether you need them or not. This feature helps organizations save money and also perfect for small organizations trying to scale up their operations. 

Scalable Services 

Scalability is the ability to expand a piece of infrastructure to take on an increased load, and this is what IaaS offers. For organizations offering IT services and solutions, you never can tell when the workload or demand for your services would increase. To prevent the system from crashing when this happens, you need a scalable platform and you get that with IaaS.

Total Control of Infrastructure

Despite being hosted in the cloud, IaaS allows organizations to access and control their entire infrastructures with little or no problem. The good thing about this control is that it removes the burden of maintenance and management. 

Multiple Users for a Hardware

In what seems like an economic benefit of using IaaS, it allows many people to access the resources using the same hardware. You don’t need to use different hardware for accessing servers and other resources as you would if the organization uses a physical data center or storage.

Disadvantages of IaaS

As impressive and beneficial as the concept of IaaS is, there are some downsides to its use. These disadvantages include;

Security: Although the control of applications, middleware, data, operating systems, and other components of the cloud-based resources, there is still a chance of security breaches. These security threats usually stem from system vulnerabilities or malicious users from within the organization, exposing the data communication between VMs (Virtual Machines) and the host resources to third parties. 

Legacy Apps: Cloud-based infrastructures are not fully compatible with legacy apps. While it is true that you can run legacy apps on IaaS, the infrastructure may not have the sufficient controls and features to secure a legacy app. 

Extra Cost of Training: With IaaS, organizations will need to spend extra resources to train their staff and workforce on the effective usage and management of the cloud-based infrastructure. This is important because despite the immense benefits of IaaS, without adequate management, it will be difficult to get the best out of the infrastructure. 

Security Concerns About Various Users: Because infrastructures are hosted in the cloud, and allocated to many users, there are concerns about multi-tenant security. The provider must ensure that data stored on the infrastructure are safe, secure, and inaccessible by other organizations using the same IaaS provider. 

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Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS is an acronym for Platform as a Service and it refers to the provision of different platforms for the development of software and applications. PaaS is similar to IaaS but a bit toned down. It provides frameworks and resources for developers to build and develop software and apps tailored to the specific needs of the organization. 

As with IaaS, PaaS will give the organization access to data centers and servers hosted on the internet while the maintenance and management of these data centers and servers are handled by the provider. 

Most organizations, however, use PaaS for the development of customized SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions. 

Delivery of PaaS

If you know or understand the concept of Software as a Service (SaaS), you will have no difficulty understanding the delivery of PaaS. While SaaS entails making software available over the internet, PaaS involves the provision of frameworks and resources for the development of the software. 

These frameworks and resources are delivered over the internet, and this mode of delivery ensures that developers do not have to worry about operating systems, software updates, infrastructure, and storage. All they need to focus on is developing the software.

PaaS also provides special software components that allow businesses and organizations to design and build applications built into the PaaS. These in-built applications are known as middleware and they possess enough scalability and availability to make them handle some specific cloud characteristics. 

When To Use PaaS?

PaaS works efficiently in different situations and organizations. If you are working on a project with multiple developers, PaaS offers a platform that helps you streamline workflow and ensure that developers work effectively. 

PaaS also works well when you have vendors on board during the development phase. It offers flexibility, efficiency, and speed to the development process. You can also hop on the PaaS bandwagon if you are looking to deliver a specialized or customized software or application. 

Lastly, if you are looking to cut costs or speed is an important factor in the development process, PaaS is the way to go. 

Popular PaaS Providers

The following are popular providers of PaaS that organizations have relied upon for delivering customized apps and software;

  • AWS Elastic Beanstalk
  • OpenShift
  • SAP Cloud
  • AWS Lamda
  • Heroku
  • Google App Engine
  • Apache Stratus
  • Windows Azure
  • Magneto Commerce
  • Force.com

Advantages of Using PaaS

Cost-Effective

Using PaaS is the best way to develop and deploy a custom application without incurring heavy costs and experiencing serious lags in the process. Organizations understand that there is a heavy cost implication with deploying applications, especially when you need to do that as fast as possible. 

Therefore, with PaaS, you need not worry about the cost and speed of deployment. 

Scalability

Another impressive feature and advantage of PaaS is its scalability. Although this benefit is common to all cloud-based models and solutions, PaaS ensures that the application can be adjusted to suit or fit into the needs of a developer or the organization. 

Less Coding

Because the PaaS offers the in-built components of the middleware, developers have fewer codes to write for developing the applications. 

More Freedom

Developers can spend quality time developing other applications as they don’t have to worry about maintaining the software. 

Easy Migration to Hybrid Model

One of the peculiar advantages of PaaS is that they allow your developers to easily migrate to a hybrid cloud model. A hybrid cloud model is a combination of public and private clouds. The purpose of using a hybrid cloud is to help IT companies utilize the cloud to their tailored needs. 

The public cloud is used for costly workloads (as it helps with cost reduction) and the private cloud is used to provide cloud security for confidential workloads. 

Disadvantages of PaaS

Integrations

With the increased complexity involved in connecting the data stored on the cloud or a physical data center with apps deployed through PaaS, integration is now one of the major challenges of using PaaS to deploy software and applications. 

Security of Data

This is another concern and limitation with the usage of PaaS. While PaaS allows organizations to control the apps and services delivered through the cloud platform, the data generated by these apps and services are stored on third-party servers that are controlled by vendors. 

This is a major security risk and concern. One of the implications of this problem is that users of the apps and services may not be able to deploy some applications with certain hosting policies, thus limiting your security options. 

Problems with Runtime

It is possible that PaaS doesn’t support or isn’t optimized for the framework or language that you intend to use. This would cause a lag in the runtime of the app when deployed as you may not be able to develop custom dependencies. 

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SaaS

SaaS stands for Software as a Service, and it describes the popular cloud option used in the technology space. The core of SaaS operations involves the use of the internet to deliver an application. This application is managed by the third-party vendor and they run on browsers installed on your device. 

This means that you need not download or install this application before using it. 

When to Use SaaS

For startups or IT organizations without adequate financial resources to develop in-house software applications, SaaS is a perfect solution and alternative. Also, if the software application is a short-term project and you don’t necessarily need a customized or specialized application, SaaS is ideal for use in that situation. 

Lastly, if you are developing an application that won’t be used frequently, like tax software, it makes sense to go for SaaS in that situation. 

SaaS Delivery

SaaS delivers applications on the internet. This means that users do not need to install the application as it is available through their browsers. Also, the third-party vendors handle the technical aspect of the service. These aspects include the middleware, storage, and servers data, and many others. 

Examples of SaaS Providers

You may be a tad surprised to note that SaaS has been in place in the IT world before companies started moving to cloud-based resources. The earliest examples of SaaS are Outlook and Google Mail. 

However, there are multitudes nowadays and some of them include;

  • ZenDesk
  • Slack
  • Salesforce
  • Google Apps
  • Hubspot
  • Dropbox
  • MailChimp
  • CiscoWebEx
  • Microsoft Office 365
  • DocuSign

Benefits of SaaS

There are numerous benefits that businesses, IT organizations, and their teams stand to enjoy from SaaS. Some of these benefits include;

Cost Reduction

SaaS is an effective tool for cutting the license cost of a software application when used right (used in a shared or multi-tenant setting).

Integration

When using SaaS, you need not worry about getting another server or software as SaaS offerings have a way of integrating with other SaaS offerings. 

Scalability

You can easily adjust the offerings on SaaS to meet your demands and client’s requirements.

Easy to Use

Software applications deployed through SaaS is very easy to use. Coupled with the fact that they don’t need downloading or installing, they come with in-built best practices. 

Upgrades and Updates

Your software application benefit from new releases and updates within the software.

Disadvantages of SaaS

The following are some of the downsides to the use of SaaS;

Limit to Customization

There is a limit to how much you can customize or adjust your software application when built on SaaS.

Data Security

Because the data is not stored on-site but rather exchanged through off-site channels, there is a concern about the security of data, especially with third-party vendors.

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Conclusion

From the description of the three service models made above, it is easy to see that each of the models are suitable for different business depending on the needs and culture of the business. The three models are not exactly in direct opposition to each other, rather they provide a different set of IT services that are needed by organizations and businesses. 

Thus, the most important thing is to understand what your company needs, select the service model(s) that fits into those needs and identify the most appropriate third-party vendor for fulfilling the needs. 

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