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atlas

Don't confuse these

Platform as a service (PaaS) vs Software as a service (SaaS)

Why they differ

With PaaS you run your own program on the provider's platform; with SaaS you only use the provider's finished program.

Platform as a service (PaaS)

Cloud

The cloud model where the provider runs the machines and operating system, and you only bring your own program and its data.

Formal

A cloud service model in which the customer places its own programs on a platform the provider manages, without control over the underlying servers, operating system or storage, but with control over the programs and their settings.

In plain English

Like renting a fully equipped restaurant kitchen - ovens, gas and cleaning are handled, and you just bring your recipes and ingredients.

In practice

A developer at a municipality puts the booking site for its sports halls on a managed platform; the provider keeps the servers patched, but the developer still decides who can log in and what the site shows the public.

Why it matters

It moves the patching of servers to the provider, but flaws in your own program and its settings remain yours to fix.

Software as a service (SaaS)

Cloud

The cloud model where you simply use a finished program over the internet, and the provider runs everything behind it.

Formal

A cloud service model in which the customer uses the provider's programs, usually through a web browser, without managing the servers, operating system or program itself, apart from limited user settings.

In plain English

Like taking a taxi instead of owning a car - you say where to go, and someone else handles the engine, the fuel and the repairs.

In practice

A school moves to an online email and document suite; the school's IT lead no longer runs mail servers but still decides who gets accounts, whether MFA is on and who files may be shared with.

Why it matters

Even when the provider runs everything, the customer still owns its data, its user accounts and its sharing settings - and many breaches in such services start there.

Shared connections

Cloud computingInfrastructure as a service (IaaS)

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