cloud services are mainly categorized into three; Software as a Service (SaaS), platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). SaaS is in use all around the world today both by individuals and businesses. SaaS is readily built software applications available to users over the cloud. You are most likely using more than one SaaS on your devices right now, and you know how it works. you just go to the company's website or via the light app provided on your phone, subscribe and start using it. examples of companies that provide SaaS are:
Hubspot, Microsoft, Adobe, Google, Dropbox, Shopify, zoom, etc.
Then there is Platform as a Service (PaaS) which as its name suggests is a platform on which software is built. They are mostly used by software developers and it gives them access to already installed servers in the cloud. PaaS helps make the job of a software developer easier, as they don't have to buy and install physical hardwares and servers, and they also only pay for the infrastructure that they use on the cloud. Examples of companies that provide PaaS are:
Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, IBM Cloud,
It is noteworthy to mention that a company can provide SaaS and also provide PaaS and IaaS.
Infrastructure as a Service is the baseline for all the services provided both on the cloud and physically. As we know most of the things we enjoy via the cloud were already available before the cloud, but the cloud makes the whole process easier, faster, and more convenient for us. It is on IaaS that all other services are built. IaaS provides all the servers, storage, and networking a user would need. examples of companies that provide IaaS:
IBM Cloud, Microsoft Azure, VMware, Open Stack, AWS, Digital Ocean,
IaaS is used by individuals or organizations that have special needs, and/or want more control over the infrastructure.
There are other forms of services provided on the cloud, but in one way or the other, they all belong to one of the three we already discussed. e.g; Desktop as a Service, Backup as a Service, Storage as a Service.
If all I wrote here sounds like gibberish to you, click on the link to read my first blog post 'THE CLOUD'. Also, do not forget we are on this journey together. So make sure you read my next post (don't leave me, lol).