So just what is Platform as a Service

Wikipedia says....Platform as a service (PaaS) is a category of cloud computing services that provides a computing platform and a solution stack as a service.^[1] Along with software as a service(SaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS), it is a service model of cloud computing. In this model, the consumer creates the software using tools and/or libraries from the provider. The consumer also controls software deployment and configuration settings. The provider provides the networks, servers, storage, and other services.^[2]

So what does the Small Business Owner that doesn't have or doesn't want Information Technology staff or skills need to know about Platform as a Service (PaaS)?

The first thing to know is that all PaaS are not alike.  For example WorkXpress is a PaaS provider, and a partner of O4BO.com  they are excellent examples of one end of the PaaS spectrum.  They have a fifth generation programming language (5GL) that is part of a Rapid Application Development (RAD) web based "Platform" that requires no programming experience to get started building your own applications.  You can learn more with this case study.

Another is SoftLayer and is part of the O4BO.com service offerings through our IBM Partnership.  CloudLayer includes virtual servers, remote storage and a robust content delivery network that leverage our core advantages and longtime leadership in automated, on-demand, self-managed infrastructure.

Besides operating as stand-alone solutions, every CloudLayer service seamlessly integrates with SoftLayer dedicated servers and automated services, with one private network, API and management system, and without any special connection mechanism or package. It's that easy to create and control a hybrid computing environment with unprecedented interoperability and efficiency.  Note no RAD or 5GL.

Yet another is ProfitBricks and is also part of the O4BO.com service offering.  ProfitBricks Has More Speed. Better Value. And Requires Less Effort. This Makes Comparing Cloud Providers Easy.  Learn why Cloud Computing 2.0 is rapidly becoming the default choice for Cloud deployments Whether it’s a new Big Data/HPC project, or the migration of your applications and databases to the Cloud – You need to select a Cloud that has what you need – flexibility, a superior price/performance ratio, all while being easier to use.

So Platform as a Service, can mean different things to different people, depending on what you need to do, how performance or ease of use or Rapid Application Develolpment are most important to you.  We at O4BO.com know that as Small Business Owners we don't want to spend our hard earned money on things outside our expertise.  So we are here to give that support to you so you don't have to choose, you just tell us what you need and we match you up with one of these platforms and at a cost lower than your daily Starbucks.

Open 4 Platform as a Service

There is a wide range of meanings for "Platform as a Service" and I will only say they have the right to call their services whatever they like.  Some are just a collection of tools that are specific to one programming language and because they are assembled on one site and they can deploy applications via those tools, that makes it a Platform as a Service.

Well ok, I guess that's true but is it what people expect.

To me a Platform is someplace where you do work.  Oil Drilling Platforms for example are not just a helicopter landing pad out in the ocean although most Oil Platforms have those.

To me a Platform as a Service offering is all about providing a place to do work, Design, Develop, Collaborate, Deploy and Test and Operate your applications.

That's why we have tools for Rapid Application Development in more than one language.  That's why we have full Software Development Lifecycle Management tools that will work even if you develop outside our RAD environments.  That's why our Platform is integrated with our Infrastructure as a Service.  That's why we offer True Multi Tenancy conversion via Corent SurPaaS if you want to create your own SaaS solutions.

Now isn't that what PaaS should be?