Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) is a full application lifecycle cloud service, including initial development, testing, deployment, operations and maintenance. PaaS is well suited to modern continuous integration and delivery development models. It offers application development the potential benefits of quicker time to value and potential lower cost of development. The potential disadvantages are increased overhead and less control over performance and management within the underlying infrastructure layer.
PaaS can be delivered on public, private and hybrid clouds.
Wikibon defines three different PaaS cloud services:
- PaaS Integrated with IaaS:
- The PaaS and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) components are integrated and delivered together as a single platform.
- Examples include IBM’s Bluemix, EMC Pivotal Cloud Foundry and others.
- PaaS with IaaS can usually runs on multiple cloud infrastructures (e.g., OpenStack and CloudAir).
- Some PaaS with IaaS offerings are based on Open Source components, which may provide lower costs and reduced risk of lock-in.
- PaaS on top of IaaS:
- The PaaS is delivered on an IaaS cloud service that is independent of the PaaS service. The IaaS can be delivered without the PaaS.
- Examples include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft’s .Net service on Azure and others.
- Most of the PaaS on IaaS offerings use some Open Source components, but the IaaS API glue that connects the IaaS with the PaaS is proprietary.
- PaaS on top of SaaS:
- The PaaS is delivered on top of a SaaS platform, and its underlying IaaS service.
- Examples include ServiceNow and SalesForce.
- PaaS on SaaS can include support for low-code and no-code development platforms for implementing business processes using the underlying SaaS services.
- PaaS on SaaS is usually a proprietary platform.
Wikibon with be using this topology to define its PaaS cloud analysis and forecasts.
David Floyer
CTO & Co-founder Wikibon
David.Floyer@Wikibon.org
