What is a Platform as a Service (PaaS)?

What is PaaS?

The explosion of technology in the last 20 years continues to give us acronyms we barely understand. Of these, SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS function as cloud computing models that remove on-premises data centers from the workplace, opening the number of organizations that can take advantage of modern computing. But what do they mean?

SaaS stands for Software as a Service and refers to applications an organization uses that arrive over the internet using a public cloud service provider. These are the most common computing solutions and include services like QuickBooks, Google DropBox, and SalesForce.
PaaS is a Platform as a Service, and, like SaaS, uses the internet to deliver a work environment. Unlike SaaS, PaaS focuses on the development of applications and provides space and tools to accomplish that goal. Users can even achieve serverless computing with PaaS. Popular PaaS providers include Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS, and Google App Engine.
IaaS, or Infrastructure as a Service, functions as the top layer of cloud environments. Unlike both PaaS and SaaS, IaaS has no restrictions and requires highly trained individuals to function correctly.

Today we’re going to dive deeper into Platform as a Service (PaaS) to learn about the benefits and when to use this valuable technology. And with Summit Hosting, you’re treated as more than a customer with cloud-native products and services that outshine even the largest PaaS providers!

What are the Benefits of PaaS?

Like other technological solutions, a PaaS solution provides a cloud-based platform for web applications that make it easier to run your business. A PaaS opens the door to various benefits for your team, including:

Flexibility and scalability – With PaaS, software development is easier than ever. Development teams have access to pre-coded application components or use various programming languages to create a new application from scratch. Plus, as your team grows, PaaS offerings can grow with you, or if you need to reduce workloads, you can do that, too, all on-demand.
Multiple platform development – Cloud applications are finding a home on more than computers. A PaaS solution can make it easier for development teams to create cloud applications or application programming interfaces (APIs) so vital corporate data is accessible from any device.
Lifecycle management – PaaS sets up an IT infrastructure that allows for total control over lifecycle management. You have everything you need in the development environment, from planning, design, and testing to launch, maintenance, and upgrades.
Cost-effective access to tools – PaaS providers offer services on a pay-as-you-go basis making it affordable for medium and small businesses. Businesses can purchase development tools as needed, allowing DevOps teams access to state-of-the-art technology at a reasonable pricing structure.
Remote support – PaaS services are becoming increasingly cloud-based. The cloud infrastructure allows teams to work remotely because everything functions from a central data center. As more businesses enable development teams to work in different geographic locations, a cloud computing service makes more sense and demands less on-site load balancing.
Hybrid cloud stepping stone – Migrating from a private cloud to a public one has its fair share of concerns. However, a hybrid model could be ideal for bridging that gap. PaaS makes it easy to move less critical development from on-site data centers to cloud-based replacements.

Platform as a Service is customizable, but cloud computing demands hosting. Summit Hosting makes it easy to implement an entire cloud platform or a hybrid cloud system that benefits your organization! Few, if any, cloud service providers can stack up to the requirements of broad industry support like Summit Hosting.

When to Use PaaS

Platform as a Service (PaaS) sits between Software as a Service (SaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). It has IT infrastructure like servers, operating systems, networking, and other computing resources. It also has middleware, business intelligence tools, and database management systems without needing to manage container orchestrators, like Kubernetes, or other infrastructure resources. Here’s when you should use a PaaS over other services.

Business Intelligence Needs

PaaS solutions can help you automate a considerable portion of your team’s workloads. With technology like artificial intelligence, virtual machines, the internet of things (IoT), and robotic process automation (RPAs), automating even more complex workflows are possible, allowing you to focus on making better business decisions. Furthermore, these advanced tools analyze and mine data in real time, giving you the most up-to-date information on patterns and behaviors. Through a host of real-time dashboards, you can analyze your data quicker than ever before. Those insights help you forecast outcomes, create better product designs, and calculate investment returns.

Simplified Framework Development

Application development can seem like a daunting feat, but a PaaS provides a framework for developers to build cloud applications, web services, or web browser-based products. PaaS platforms will provide built-in software pieces that make provisioning, coding, and maintenance straightforward. PaaS frameworks benefit from cloud environment features like scalability, high availability, and multi-cloud capacity. At the end of the day, these perks lead to requiring less time for developers to work on backend coding, ultimately reducing the time it takes for your product, website, or mobile app to be ready.

Specialized App Functions

Sometimes a ready-built app doesn’t have the features you need, and non-native APIs can add microservices charges or simply not work. A PaaS development platform uses tools, templates, and build packs to make constructing various app types a breeze. It removes everyday decisions or processes to maximize time spent programming simple aspects in a process known as abstraction. That abstraction generalizes portions of code developers use frequently. PaaS provides a clearly defined path of development, which makes designing specialized app functions easier. However, PaaS can be restrictive for some developers, especially compared to the greater control an IaaS provides. Yet, removing the infrastructure requirements means apps are ready sooner with the support you need to function correctly.

Achieve PaaS Solutions with Summit Hosting

Platform as a Service gives organizations control over their app development. It provides a cloud-based environment with developer tools that businesses can purchase access to depending on the demands of their teams or business needs. PaaS allows rapid development of cloud apps or even complete cloud-enabled enterprise resource planning solutions without needing to manage the infrastructure. Users access PaaS over a secure internet connection which allows developers to work from anywhere, and the complete lifecycle support means you won’t be on the hook for future patches or improvements. And while organizations like Google and Amazon have their feet in the PaaS game with robust products, they can’t match the personalized nature of Summit Hosting. Summit Hosting offers PaaS solutions with dedicated servers, 99% uptime, and 24/7/365 support should something go wrong. Plus, put your security concerns to bed, as Summit uses the most advanced encryption technology, multi-factor authentication, VPNs, and SSAE 18 certifications. We are your solution for secure, reliable PaaS services because we’re Summit Hosting — always on, always secure.