IT outsourcing services are becoming more and more in demand, but it is often difficult for a layman to understand the range of services offered. In this article, we will try to explain what outsourcing companies actually offer.
Cloud pyramid: IaaS, PaaS or SaaS
Cloud computing is the main technology in today’s world. It helps to get the hardware, software, and other infrastructure resources needed to run a business online. This improves scalability and resource allocation, reduces cost, and ensures platform independence.
IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS are models for providing cloud services. How they relate to each other is often depicted as a pyramid with different levels of information control. The top is an end-user who works with personal data “wrapped” in a program or service with a user-friendly interface. The program or service is deployed on a technological platform; this is the second level of the pyramid. Finally, it is based on infrastructure: virtual servers, computing power, drives, and communication channels.
What is SaaS?
SaaS (Software-as-a-Service). This cloud model is the most common. Programs and services are developed and maintained by the provider, placed in the cloud, and offered to the end-user through a browser or application on his PC. The client only pays a subscription fee (or uses the service for free), updates and technical support of programs are provided by the provider. SaaS services can provide a place to store files (Dropbox), office documents for work (Google Doc), help organize photos (Flickr) or communicate with other people (Facebook). The main client of SaaS services is a regular user.
What is PaaS?
Paas (Platform as a Service) is a model of cloud computing that delivers applications over the Internet. It is a framework that is most desired by developers because they can customize and develop applications. In the PAAS model, the cloud service provider supplies the user and the software tariff typically needed to develop applications for its users as a service. The cloud platform service is quite popular and it is used to develop applications and provide cloud components for software.
What is IaaS?
IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service). Under this model, the consumer receives information technology resources – virtual servers with certain computing power and memory. All “iron” is handled by the provider. It installs virtual machine software on it but does not install or maintain user software. The provider controls only the physical and virtual infrastructure. IaaS clients are system administrators of companies.
What are the difference?
You can distinguish such options according to the following points:
- Considering Paas vs SaaS, it should be noted that the first one saves you from having to install internal hardware or software because the provider deploys a cloud infrastructure that supports the platform. Businesses are using new PaaS capabilities to further outsource tasks that might otherwise rely on local solutions.
- From the point of view of the end-user, SaaS is the clearest and convenient cloud model. It is often easier and more efficient to use a ready-made SaaS service that already meets certain requirements. But ready-made solutions do not always exist, and in this case, the PaaS and IaaS models are indispensable.
- PaaS accelerates application development, testing, and delivery. It will be easier and more economical for a development team to implement projects of any size and complexity on ready-made solutions.
- IaaS, as the most flexible of the cloud models, allows your business to have full scalable control over the management and configuration of your infrastructure. IaaS helps with important infrastructure features such as storage, installing effective firewalls, and networks.