A general overview of XaaS

Introduction
Nowadays there are many cloud providers that deliver a variety of services over the
internet. XaaS is a collective term that refers to the delivery of anything as a
service, and in this reading you will get an overview of each of the services. After
working through this reading you will be able to advise Sam on what XaaS solution
will address her business needs and help modernize their processes.
Anything as a service (XaaS)
XaaS, or “anything as a service” is the alternative to businesses providing services
by themselves, like having their own servers and datacenters. The following are the
main types of XaaS:
Software as a service (SaaS)
SaaS allows users to connect to and use cloud-based applications over the internet.
SaaS applications are also known as hosted applications. In general, with SaaS users
install no software. They sign in via a browser and use the hosted software.
Examples of SaaS include video on demand platforms like Netflix, Microsoft 365 and
apps like Spotify. In fact, most apps that allow end users to subscribe on a time
basis are examples of SaaS.
Platform as a service (PaaS)
PaaS is a complete development and deployment environment in the cloud.
Developers and software companies use PaaS to create and publish new programs
or apps quickly and easily, without having to take care of the required infrastructure
themselves.
PaaS resources enable developers to deliver everything from simple cloud-based
apps to sophisticated, cloud-enabled enterprise applications. Developers can
purchase the resources they need from a cloud service provider on a pay-as-you-go
basis and access them over a secure internet connection.
Examples of PaaS include Microsoft Azure, AWS lambda and Google app engine.
Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
IaaS is type of cloud computing service that offers computing, storage, and
networking resources on demand. IaaS offerings enable organizations to remove the
cost and complexity of buying and managing physical servers and datacenter
infrastructure. Organizations pay for each resource for as long as it's needed on a
pay-as-you-go basis. A cloud computing service provider like Microsoft Azure
manages the infrastructure, while the client purchase, install, configure, and
manage their own software - including operating systems and applications.
The difference between IaaS and PaaS is that IaaS allows you to manage the
operating system and determine the power of the infrastructure you use. This can
be a better-performing CPU or faster storage. This is useful when certain
applications require a customized operating system to run effectively. For example,
some websites need high-performing infrastructure to deal with very high volumes
of requests. On the other hand, with PaaS, the infrastructure and operating system
are determined by the platform provider.
Shared responsibility model
When a business uses cloud services the responsibilities of different elements either
fall to the client or the cloud service provider. The cloud service model determines
responsibility for elements like:
 Operating systems
 Network controls
 Applications
 Identity and infrastructure
Each XaaS solution uses a different level of a shared responsibility model. The
diagram below shows what the cloud provider is responsible for and what the
customer is responsible for. For instance, for most SaaS solutions consumers
subscribe to a service and have very little responsibility. But with on-premise or
private cloud solutions, clients take responsibility for all elements of the cloud
solution.

However, certain responsibilities are fixed for all XaaS. The client will always be
responsible for:
  The information and data stored in the cloud
 Devices that are allowed to connect to the cloud (for example, phones and
computers)
 Accounts and identities of users, services, and devices within their
organization
Cloud providers are always responsible for:
 Physical datacenters
 Physical networks
 Physical hosts
Your service model will determine responsibility for things like:
 Operating systems
 Network controls
 Applications
 Identity and infrastructure
XaaS is continually evolving with new offerings coming to the market as working
patterns change. For instance, a new offering, Network as a Service (NaaS) is
gaining popularity due to the recent trend of remote working. NaaS allows for the
replacement of some network hardware like firewalls, VPN connectivity and even
connections across and to the internet. NaaS connects remote workers to more
XaaS offerings as seen in this diagram.
Conclusion
XaaS is made up of a number of different cloud solutions and differs in terms of the
level of shared responsibility. Software as a Service (SaaS) places the least amount
of responsibility with the client. These are the cloud services that you, as a
consumer, have most likely encountered. For businesses that need control over
everything apart from the actual hardware, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a
better fit since it allows complete control over the software it's using.
So, which XaaS will be the best option for Sam’s Scoops? Well, since the business is
still small with limited resources, it’s certainly not big enough to provide all of its
own hardware to host the applications that it needs to expand. Sam has already
expressed concerns that they do not possess the skills and time in house to develop
or build their own applications. So moving forward SaaS would be the best option
for Sam’s Scoops.