There is still some confusion about what is actually offered as cloud services, so it is interesting to reinforce these concepts before starting to review the different providers’ offerings. This is the case of SaaS cloud platforms and their difference with cloud platforms.
On SaaS cloud platforms, the platform itself is a cloud service, that is, the infrastructure is built for the cloud. It is only possible to interact with it through APIs and, instead of owning it, you pay to use that model. The platform is located in the cloud and there you interact with it and customize it to your liking.
In contrast, a cloud platform model uses an existing software application and offers a hosting service for it. This means that, as with SaaS cloud platforms, the infrastructure does not need to be configured. However, these platforms are evolving to adapt to cloud versions of existing software.
Characteristics Of SaaS Cloud Platforms
Hosting options: These platforms have no versions. The version of the platform that is there is what it is. Instead of changing versions, the software provider continually updates this unique saas cloud platform. This means they send you new features, even if you didn’t request them or didn’t need them.
Maintenance: Although saas cloud platforms automatically implement new features, it should be verified that these new features do not conflict with the current site. There is still the possibility of testing for a possible rollback, but you have no option to decide when to do them as you have no control over when the new features are uploaded.
New features: The scope or speed of delivery of new functions may not be as wide or fast as you would like, although it is common for new functions to be presented every quarter that is sent to a real environment. This slowness is justified by the need to consider and ensure backward compatibility. The provider must ensure that not all of its customers are affected.
Hosting cost: On a saas cloud platform, the cost of hosting is included. This is great but it may mean that you are paying for a server capacity that you are not using.
Capacity: Peak usage is managed by the cloud. You don’t need to worry about capacity.
Customization: Customization is limited.
Characteristics Of Cloud Platforms
Hosting options: In a cloud platform, we have flexible options about hosting. The platform is likely to be hosted in a private cloud, which means that different software servers can be assigned based on need. The software deployment architecture can be further customized.
Maintenance: A certain level of maintenance is required. It can be done through the support of third-party applications, but you have to consider possible problems like capacity planning, disaster planning, etc.
New features: Versions can be omitted on a cloud platform, but be careful. If many versions are omitted the gaps between the different versions become too large and any future updates can be difficult.
Hosting cost: You pay for the hosting you actually use, which means you have to think about what it is going to be.
Capacity: More servers can be dynamically added to provide more capacity.
Personalization: The software is fully customizable since this type of platform allows for more extensive provider changes. Your cloud is yours, so you can make any changes to the software you want for your business.
