What is IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service)?

Infrastructure-as-a-Service is a form of cloud computing that provides virtualized computing resources over the internet. IaaS is one of three main categories of cloud computing services. In an IaaS model, a third-party provider hosts hardware, software, servers, storage and other infrastructure components on behalf of its users. IaaS providers also host users’ applications and handle tasks including system maintenance, backup and resiliency planning.

How is Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) different from Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)?

While all three are cloud computing models that use the internet to deliver some or all of its services, the main difference lies in which services a provider manages and what a company manages. In the case of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), a third-party provider manages about half of the system’s services, such as servers, storage and networking, while the company running the system manages its own applications, data, middleware and more.