Which cloud service model is mainly targeted at software developers?

Concept

Cloud service models differ by how much of the computing stack the provider manages for the customer. Moving from infrastructure to platform to software increases the provider-managed layers and changes what the customer builds or operates.

A platform service supplies an application environment—such as runtimes, middleware, databases, and deployment tools—while the customer concentrates on application code rather than maintaining the underlying servers and operating system.

Application

The stem asks for the model mainly aimed at software developers. PaaS supplies the managed environment used to build, test, deploy, and run applications, so PaaS (Platform as a service) fits that role.

Contrast

• SaaS (Software as a service) delivers a complete hosted application for an end user to consume.

• IaaS (Infrastructure as a service) supplies virtualized compute, storage, and networking that the customer configures and administers.

• STaaS (Storage as a service) supplies remotely accessible storage capacity as its principal resource.

Cross-check

In the service-stack progression, IaaS exposes infrastructure, PaaS adds the managed application platform, and SaaS exposes the finished application. The developer-focused middle layer is therefore PaaS (Platform as a service).