SaaS: Software as a Service
- The CSP centrally manages the software on a per-user basis; this often includes provisions for a fixed amount of bandwidth and storage.
- The CSP deals with software licensing, installation, management, and other details.
PaaS: Platform as a Service
*Provides a platform where the enterprise or users can build and host their own applications PaaS provides some degree of control to the enterprise over the cloud computing environment, but the enterprise does not need to deal with elasticity and scalability.
IaaS: Infrastructure as a Service
- Provides unlimited raw computing, storage, and network resources that the enterprise can use to build its own virtual infrastructure in the cloud
- Enterprises can load or rent OSs, software, web services, database applications, and then install on this infrastructure.
- Note that elasticity and scalability are not always provided automatically.
XaaS: Anything as a Service
- Refers to any IT function or digital component that can be transformed into a service for enterprise or user consumption.
