By Shannon Flynn
There are three broad types of cloud services – Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service and Software-as-a-Service – and four distinct types of cloud.
Businesses wanting to invest in cloud resources or services should know about each, the different advantages they offer, and when a given service will be the most appropriate.
Three Types of Cloud Services
Cloud services are hosted by third-party providers and delivered to customers over the internet. Each of the three levels of cloud services will provide more control to the end-user at the cost of ease-of-use.
1. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
SaaS delivers cloud-hosted software to a customer.
The end-user does not manage maintenance, upkeep or storage of the cloud-based software. Instead, the service provider handles everything necessary to keep the program running. The end-user only has control over their own data and the device they use to access the software.
One popular example of an SaaS is Dropbox, the cloud-based file storage solution. The software is based in the cloud and offered by a third-party service provider. Like many SaaS solutions, Dropbox is marketed both towards major enterprises and individual consumers.
Other examples of SaaS products include Google’s suite of Workspace apps, Trello, Netflix and Zoom.
2. Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
PaaS offers a platform to end-users, providing them with control over the applications and data that run on the platform.
As with SaaS customers, the PaaS end-user does not manage the hardware, operating system or middleware that allows these apps to run. They do, however, have control over the apps themselves. These services are marketed towards developers and programmers who want to build, run and operate apps entirely in the cloud.
An example of a PaaS is Heroku, a container-based PaaS that developers use to build, run and scale web or mobile applications entirely in the cloud.
3. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
IaaS offers a cloud-based infrastructure to end-users in the form of highly distributed storage technology like file storage, block storage and object storage.
The service provider does not control the user’s applications, data, operating systems and the software needed for these to run. The provider will continue to control their own hardware, servers and virtualization.
Examples of IaaS include cloud storage services like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Compute Engine. These services offer everything an end-user needs to build and run applications with the tools, frameworks and operating systems of their choice.
Of the three cloud service types, these provide end-users with the most control. Users also take on the most risk, and will be more vulnerable to threats like cyber attackers than users of PaaS or SaaS offerings.
For this reason, a number of businesses offer support services like security audits to IaaS users, intended to help end-users identify and patch vulnerabilities in the code hosted on the cloud.
Other as-a-Service Types
There are also a number of emerging aaS types beyond the primary SaaS, PaaS and IaaS categories. Each of these groups is relatively new and niche compared to the major three service types:
- AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS): AI training and algorithms provided via the cloud.
- Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS): Virtual desktops provided over the internet. These are becoming increasingly popular among organizations with distributed teams.
- IT-as-a-Service (ITaaS): Business IT support offered over the internet.
Four Types of Cloud
Businesses may also need to consider the different types of cloud available.
- The public cloud: Cloud computing offered by a third-party provider and shared across organizations.
- The private cloud: Cloud computing dedicated to a single organization. It may be hosted by a third-party provider or maintained by the organization itself at an off-site data center.
- The hybrid cloud: A combination of two or more public and private cloud offerings, networked so that data can be shared between the multiple clouds an organization uses.
- The multicloud: Two or more clouds of the same type, linked together.
A hybrid cloud solution may also be multicloud.
Most organizations are moving towards hybrid cloud solutions that allow them to take advantage of multiple cloud-based services and on-site storage. However, it’s likely that both solely public and private cloud storage will remain popular, as both solutions can provide the computer resources that most organizations need.
Choosing the Right Cloud Services for Your Organization
Depending on the level of control your organization needs over its cloud resources, it may only need an SaaS or PaaS solution. Businesses that are developing apps and need a great deal of control over their development environment may want to invest in cloud solutions like AWS or Microsoft Azure.
While selecting a cloud service, business managers should also consider the differences between public, private and hybrid cloud arrangements, as each comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
##
About the Author
Shannon Flynn is a tech writer who covers topics like cloud computing, business technology, and data. You can find her work on Hackernoon, Cybint Solutions, Irish Tech News, and ReHack.com. Visit ReHack for other trending tech topics covered by Shannon.
