Cloud Service Models Explained
Understanding IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS to choose the right cloud solution for your Augusta business needs.
The Cloud Service Stack
Cloud computing services are typically categorized into three main models, each offering different levels of control, flexibility, and management. Understanding these models helps you choose the right solution for your specific business needs.
Think of these models as different levels of a restaurant experience: IaaS is like buying ingredients and cooking yourself, PaaS is like a meal kit with pre-prepared ingredients, and SaaS is like ordering takeout—ready to consume.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Rent IT infrastructure—servers, virtual machines, storage, networks, and operating systems—from a cloud provider on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Popular Examples
- • Amazon EC2
- • Microsoft Azure VMs
- • Google Compute Engine
Best For
Businesses that want maximum control over their infrastructure while avoiding hardware costs.
Responsibility Model
You Manage
- • Applications
- • Data
- • Runtime
- • Middleware
- • Operating System
Provider Manages
- • Virtualization
- • Servers
- • Storage
- • Networking
Common Use Cases
- • Migrating existing applications to the cloud
- • Development and testing environments
- • Backup and disaster recovery
- • High-performance computing workloads
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Complete development and deployment environment in the cloud, with resources that let you deliver everything from simple cloud-based apps to sophisticated enterprise applications.
Popular Examples
- • Heroku
- • AWS Elastic Beanstalk
- • Azure App Service
Best For
Development teams that want to focus on building applications without managing infrastructure.
Responsibility Model
You Manage
- • Applications
- • Data
Provider Manages
- • Runtime
- • Middleware
- • Operating System
- • Virtualization
- • Servers
- • Storage
- • Networking
Common Use Cases
- • Web application development
- • API development and deployment
- • Database management
- • Business analytics and intelligence
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Complete software solutions that you access via the internet. The cloud provider manages everything from infrastructure to the application itself.
Popular Examples
- • Microsoft 365
- • Salesforce
- • Google Workspace
- • Slack
Best For
Businesses that want ready-to-use software without any technical management.
Responsibility Model
You Manage
- • Data
- • User Management
Provider Manages
- • Applications
- • Runtime
- • Middleware
- • Operating System
- • Virtualization
- • Servers
- • Storage
- • Networking
Common Use Cases
- • Email and productivity suites
- • Customer relationship management
- • Accounting and financial software
- • Collaboration and communication tools
Which Model is Right for Your Business?
Choose IaaS If:
- • You have existing applications to migrate
- • You need maximum control over your environment
- • You have IT staff to manage infrastructure
- • You want to avoid hardware purchase costs
Choose PaaS If:
- • You're developing new applications
- • You want to focus on coding, not infrastructure
- • You need rapid development and deployment
- • You want built-in scalability and security
Choose SaaS If:
- • You want ready-to-use software solutions
- • You prefer predictable monthly costs
- • You don't want to manage any technical aspects
- • You need quick deployment and user adoption
Need Help Choosing the Right Cloud Model?
Our Augusta cloud experts can assess your business needs and recommend the optimal cloud strategy for your specific situation.