PaaS is an abbreviation for Platform as a Service, and refers to a service that provides a cloud platform necessary for application development and design. Cloud services in the world are developed by application engineers and infrastructure engineers building applications on this PaaS. Since application engineers and infrastructure engineers do not need to manage the cloud environment themselves, they can focus on creating applications and services, therefore it is used by many engineers.
Representative services
- Google Cloud Platform
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Microsoft Azure
Some people may not know much about these three PaaS, but you may be deeply involved in them without even realizing it.
Representative services of Google Cloud Platform
- Spotify
- Twitter(X)
- Snapchat
etc.
Representative services of Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Netflix
- Slack
- Airbnb
etc.
Representative services of Microsoft Azure
- Adobe
- Rakuten Ichiba
etc.
As you can see, PaaS is actually used in many familiar things, but it is not well known.
Even the same PaaS has its own characteristics, and the PaaS you should use depends on what you want to do. We will explain the three most common characteristics.
Features of Google Cloud Platform
- Stable infrastructure environment
- Speed and performance
- Extensive AI and machine learning
- Cost-effectiveness
etc.
Features of Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Extensive services
- Scalability and flexibility
- Cost-effectiveness
- Promotion of innovation
etc.
Microsoft Azure
- Compatibility with Microsoft products
- Hybrid cloud support
- High security
- Cost-effective
etc.
As you can see, even the same PaaS has its differences, and you can get merits by being aware of them when developing and using them.
Merits and demerits of PaaS
So far, we have explained the characteristics of PaaS and its representative services. Based on that, we will explain the merits and demerits of PaaS.
Merits
- Accelerated development
- Cost reduction
- Use of the latest technology
Accelerated development
Since PaaS provides all the infrastructure required for development, developers can start development immediately without having to create an environment from scratch. Not only can you start work faster, but you can also avoid wasting time and make an effort, which leads to improved work efficiency.
Cost reduction
There are no huge initial costs like with servers, and since it is a pay-as-you-go system, you do not pay more than necessary. In addition, monthly fees do not change much, so cost management is easy.
Use of the latest technology
The cloud environment is always kept up to date by the PaaS provider, so those who use PaaS can develop in the latest state. In addition, it is highly secure, as the cloud provider manages and monitors passwords 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Demerits
- Limited freedom
- Security dependency
- Performance constraints
Limited freedom
Unlike a server, the environment settings depend on the cloud provider’s settings, therefore you cannot operate as freely as you can with a server. You should use it with caution as you may not be able to use certain programming languages.
Dependency on security
Although the security risk is not high, the inability to manage the cloud environment yourself is a demerit. However, the location of the PaaS data center is not disclosed, and data centers are also distributed in multiple locations for backup, thus it is very safe.
Performance issues
Since resources are shared, delays may occur or affect other users if a large number of people use it at once. Dependency on the Internet environment is also an issue.
Lastly
In today’s world where cloud computing is accelerating, PaaS is indispensable, and Google Cloud Platform, AWS, and Microsoft Azure in particular are having a major impact on the world. Most of the popular applications and services today use PaaS, and many services have been produced using it. Services for businesses that run on PaaS are also very useful in improving business efficiency, so actively adopting them will greatly contribute to future business performance.
The cloud services we provide also run in a PaaS environment and are highly secure. If you would like to introduce remote work or migrate your software to the cloud, please check our website for details.
