Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS is a platform for programming developers and brings benefits - SaaS is used for but from the software development point. It is the computer platform that provides the facility to use web applications quickly. With ease, without buying & maintaining web-development, PaaS has a similarity with that SaaS except that SaaS delivers software over the web. In contrast, PaaS provides a platform for the creating of software delivered over the web. PaaS has a feature of a point-and-click tool that allows non-programmers to develop web applications. App-Engine of Google & Force.com, Windows Azure, AppFog, Openshift, and VMware Cloud Foundry are PaaS examples.

Advantages of PaaS:

• Scalability: of users ranges from hundreds to thousands.
• Prebuilt Business Plan: PaaS vendors provide pre-defined business functionality for users to directly start the project.
• Low Cost: Development via PaaS requires a computer & a good internet connection and less investment in hardware & software.
• Instant Community: PaaS providers facilitates user providing online communities where a developer can get new ideas & share their experience & advice.
• Simple & easy to use

Disadvantages of PaaS are as follows:

• Vendor Migration: Migration from one PaaS vendors' application to another PaaS vendor will create some problem.
• Data-Privacy: The privacy of data can get hamper if it is not held within the company's boundary or organization.
• Mix-up Complexity: Some of the applications developed may be local while others are from the cloud, which may increase the complexity.