5  PaaS – Platform as a Service

PaaS – Platform as a Service

by | 20. November 2023 | IT-Glossary-EN

In the area of cloud computing, entire platforms can be rented from the service provider in addition to software and backend. As part of the service, a platform is made available that can be used for web applications or software development, for example. The infrastructure for this can also be scaled as required. All in all, this is a very flexible service that benefits developers and system architects in particular. The best-known cloud computing services are as follows:

PaaS – Platform as a Service

SaaS – Software as a Service

IaaS – Infrastructure as a Service

Depending on the benefits you are pursuing, a different service makes sense. We will be happy to provide you with comprehensive advice on this.

What exactly is PaaS?

As already mentioned, Platform as a Service provides a complete platform as a cloud service that can be used more or less freely. The environment remains accessible to the developer throughout the entire development cycle, from design to ongoing operation – there are actually no time limits here. In principle, PaaS is based on IaaS and is therefore very flexible in terms of scaling. Depending on which infrastructure with which computing power is currently required, this can be adapted, even if the environment is already available.

Thus, it can be said that PaaS forms the middle layer in the cloud stack, with SaaS above it. Examples of platform services include Microsoft Windows Azure, Salesforce, Google App Engine and Amazon Elastic Beanstalk. The services offered are not identical, they differ in the development tools offered, supported programming languages and other details. The team of experts at New Media Service GmbH will be happy to help you choose the right provider for you.

What are the advantages of PaaS?

The clear advantage lies in the elimination of administrative tasks. There is also no need to purchase extra hardware and software. Capacities can also be booked for a short period of time and “released” again at short notice, for example after a test phase or project completion. The focus can also be placed more on the actual work, as there is far less need to deal with the procurement and configuration of hardware. It is somewhat difficult to draw a clear distinction from Infrastructure as a Service because some PaaS providers bundle their platform and infrastructure offerings.

One difference, however, is that most PaaS services can only be accessed via APIs (programming interfaces) and do not allow direct access to their operating system. The distinction to Software as a Service is clearer: the applications are normally intended directly for the end user and are not ultimately directly related to the underlying infrastructure. In this case, the provider is responsible for ensuring that the purchased licenses can also be used in terms of capacity.

New Media Service GmbH offers these services in the PaaS area

If you currently have a project that could benefit from a platform in the cloud or are planning such a project, we will be happy to support you in selecting the right provider and implementing the service. Our specialists will also be happy to assist you if you simply want advice on the topic of cloud services. We will show you the possibilities offered by the services and can also evaluate your existing infrastructure and, if necessary, optimize it with a suitable service. Simply contact us if you are interested!

If you would like to find out more, simply contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. We will be happy to provide you with information on this topic and, if required, take care of implementation and realization for you.