Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)Describe cloud conceptsMedium
A software vendor wants to offer its proprietary accounting application to customers as a ready-to-use service accessible via a web browser. They do not want customers to concern themselves with installing, maintaining, or updating the software or the underlying infrastructure. Which cloud service type should the vendor choose?
- ASoftware as a Service (SaaS)
- BPlatform as a Service (PaaS)
- CServerless Computing
- DInfrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS provides a complete, ready-to-use application over the internet, where the cloud provider (in this case, the software vendor acting as a provider) manages all aspects: application, data, runtime, OS, virtualization, servers, storage, and networking. This perfectly matches the objective of offering a 'ready-to-use service' without customer involvement in maintenance.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. PaaS is for developing and deploying, not consuming a finished application.
- C. Serverless Computing (FaaS) is a model for running functions, not typically for delivering a full commercial application to end-users.
- D. IaaS requires customers to manage the OS and applications, contrary to the goal.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
A cloud service model that provides customers with access to a completed, ready-to-use software application, typically over the internet via a web browser. The cloud provider manages all aspects of the application and its underlying infrastructure.
- Highest level of abstraction for the end-user.
- No customer management of infrastructure or application updates.
- Subscription-based pricing model is common.
- Examples: Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Gmail.
Memory trick: SaaS is software served, ready to use, no fuss.