SaaS, PaaS, IaaS - Why migrate to the cloud?

Can you believe it's just been a few years since cloud technology truly gained momentum? It appears that our organizations have been relying on the cloud for a significantly longer period of time. 

However, enterprises are not yet migrated 100% to the cloud, and hybrid and multi-cloud deployments are becoming prominent, so businesses must choose the correct cloud technology as per their needs.

When you look at your migration choices, you're flooded with "as a service" possibilities. If you want to make the best selection, you must understand the fundamentals of SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS and hire the best Cloud solution provider in India no matter what you want to procure.

Cloud Platforms & their Services and Solutios - SaaS, PaaS, & IaaS:

1. SaaS - Dropbox, GoToMeeting, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Cisco WebEx, Concur
2. PaaS - Apache Stratos, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, OpenShift, Heroku, Google App Engine, Windows Azure, Force.com
3. IaaS -  Rackspace, Google Compute Engine (GCE), DigitalOcean, Linode, Cisco Metapod, Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

SaaS – Software as a Service

In the cloud industry, SaaS often termed cloud software solutions is the most widely used choice for organizations. SaaS uses the internet to offer software to consumers that are controlled by a third-party cloud computing solution provider. The majority of SaaS services operate automatically via your web browser, thus no downloading or installations are required on the consumer end.

•    SaaS Advantages

1.     Reduces money and time spent on tedious tasks
2.     No software installation, management & up-gradation hassles
3.     Frees up plenty of time for technical staff to spend on more pressing issues

•    SaaS Delivery

1.     Eliminates the need for IT professionals for application installations
2.     Technical issues (servers, storage, data, and middleware) managed directly by       vendors
3.     Streamlines businesses with real-time support and maintenance

•    SaaS Characteristic

1.     Services hosted on a remote server
2.     Over the internet accessibility
3.     Centralized software management
4.     Zero hardware and software up-gradation issues at the user end

•    When to Use SaaS

1.     Firms or small businesses who need to establish eCommerce rapidly and don't have time to deal with server troubles or software
2.     Short-term initiatives that necessitate rapid, simple, and cost-effective collaboration
3.     Best for applications that are not used on daily basis like Tax Software
4.     Apps that require both online and mobile functionality

•    SaaS Concerns & Limitations

1.     Vendor Lock-In
2.     Data Security
3.     Customization
4.     Lack of Control
5.     Limited features
6.     Lack of integration support
7.     Interoperability

PaaS – Platform as a Service

Cloud platform services, also known as Platform as a Service (PaaS), offer cloud elements to specific software and are mostly deployed for applications. PaaS provides developers with a platform on which they can develop and utilize to construct customized apps. All servers, storage, and infrastructure can be handled by the organization or a 3rd party cloud service vendor, whereas developers retain control over the applications.

•    PaaS Advantages

1.     Simple deployment & cost-effective development of applications
2.     High availability and scalability
3.     Quick customizations capabilities by developers
4.     Reduces coding complexities
5.     Easy platform migration

•    PaaS Delivery

1.     Offers on the web platforms to maximize customizations
2.     Best for developers to create customized solutions
3.     Eliminates software updating hassles and operating system independent capabilities
4.     Incorporates business-specific software with scalable cloud characteristics

•    PaaS Characteristics

1.     Based on virtualized technologies, resources can be readily increased or reduced as your organization expands or shrinks
2.     Offers a range of services to help with application creation, debugging, and implementation
3.     Multiple users can access the same development application
4.     Web services and databases are integrated

•    When to Use PaaS

1.     Streamlines the workflow when multiple developers are working on the same project
2.     Offers superior speed and flexibility
3.     Best for developing customized applications
4.     Simplifies challenges and helps in quick app development and deployment

•    PaaS Concerns & Limitations

1.     Runtime issues
2.     Minimal customization  of legacy systems
3.     Existing service integration issues
4.     Vendor Lock-In
5.     Operational control limitations

IaaS – Infrastructure as a Service

IaaS is also known as cloud infrastructure services and is made up of highly flexible and automated computational capabilities. IaaS allows users to access and manage computers, networks, storage, and related services entirely on their own. Instead of purchasing hardware altogether, IaaS empowers businesses to acquire on-demand IT Storage Services and resources as per project needs.

•    IaaS Advantages

1.     Automates storage, servers, networking deployment
2.     Eliminates expensive hardware purchases
3.     Offers complete infrastructural control to clients
4.     On-demand resource allocation
5.     Highly flexible and scalable

•    IaaS Delivery

1.     Offers cloud computing solutions and infrastructure using Virtualization technology
2.     Provides data center capabilities without on-premises physical servers
3.     All application-level management including up-gradation was done by clients
4.     Vendors offer additional infrastructural services beyond the virtualization layer like databases and resource handling

•    IaaS Characteristics

1.     IT resources as a service
2.     Cost varies depending on resource allocation
3.     Highly scalable and flexible
4.     Single hardware for multiple users
5.     Complete infrastructural control

•    When to Use IaaS

1.     To eliminate hardware procurement costs for startups and small companies
2.     Reliable option to test hardware capabilities before investment for big firms
3.     Enable companies with quick expansion capabilities with zero hardware setup

•    IaaS Concerns & Limitations

1.     Not perfect in delivering legacy system control
2.     Inadequate internal resources and training
3.     Weak data security
4.     Poor isolation of multitenant cloud architecture

Over to You

Each cloud solution has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. You should think about the unique features and capabilities they provide. No matter which type of cloud solution provider you pick, it will help your organization in a variety of ways.

Instead of deploying an expensive on-premises infrastructure that is challenging to reconfigure to your expanding business's demands, the cloud service provider will cut expenses, improve data security, and provide better flexibility and scalability.

We believe these insights are beneficial to you and your business!