Advantages of Using PaaS to Develop Your Apps

PaaS or Platform as a Service has grown in popularity with the rise of cloud computing. However, it can be a difficult concept for many beginners to grasp. And many can’t fully appreciate its importance or how necessary it is for app development. This article will break down precisely what a Platform as a Service model does and how it can help developers get started on that million dollar app idea.

After reading this article, you should be more comfortable contacting a PaaS provider to help you get started with your app.

What is PaaS

PaaS stands for platform as a service, a popular service in the world of cloud computing. PaaS vendors provide the expensive and resource-heavy hardware and software tools needed to run an app hosting platform, allowing the customers to focus their attention on developing their app in a platform as a service model.

Platform as a service is mainly used for app development. It allows developers to experiment with new app ideas without having the need to commit to servers, storage, and other hardware needs required to make an online application. Platform as a Service is also a popular choice for software teams spread across the globe, as everything needed to collaborate is available throughout the cloud.

Focus On Developing Not Infrastructure

The infrastructure required to run and maintain an online application can often be a significant barrier to entry for new developers since running and maintaining servers is very cost-prohibitive. This is the main reason the platform as a service model has exploded in popularity in the past fifteen years. Developers are no longer limited in their creativity by the logistics required to run their projects.

This freedom is why we have seen a dramatic rise of independent applications in the past ten years, as developers are able to offer massive online services with a very small team.

Easily Scales With Your Company

We’ve already discussed how the platform as a service model enables developers to focus their attention on writing the software for their applications and leave the hardware necessities to the PaaS vendors. This is a great option for developing new applications, but you are probably wondering what happens if your app is a commercial success. Can a PaaS vendor work with you?

Is the answer a resounding yes? One of the most significant benefits of using a PaaS vendor is the ease with which they can scale with your company’s growth, as they have more than enough server and storage space to handle your needs.

Even better is how a PaaS vendor can dynamically scale with your application, so you are never using more server space than you need. For instance, if your application has peak hours or seasons, the platform as a service model will scale up to meet the needs of your peaks but then can automatically scale down during slow periods. This means you are never spending resources maintaining services you aren’t using if your traffic goes up.

Automatic Frequent Updates

A significant hassle that the Platform as a Service solves is maintaining and updating your backend software and hardware. If you wanted to avoid a PaaS vendor and host the servers, storage, and other infrastructure required, you would be responsible for updating and maintaining them. That more than likely means hiring a couple of full-time employees to keep everything running smoothly and up to date with the constantly changing technological advancements. If you and your company are a step behind, not only can it slow down your applications and give your competitors an undue advantage, it also makes your company prone to cyber-attacks.

The internet is constantly evolving and improving; companies must do the same to keep up with cyber attackers. This means keeping their servers and backend software up to date with the latest anti-virus software and security measures. A platform as a service vendor will handle all that for you automatically.

Get Your App Started with a PaaS Today

Hopefully, now you have a better understanding of what a Platform as a Service can do for your app development journey. If you think you have that million-dollar idea, you have the coding skills to develop it, but all you are missing is the infrastructure. Now is the time to chase that dream. A Paas vendor can make it a reality.