When it's time to deploy a Platform-as-a-Service option for your application developers, it's important to make the right selection the first time. There are a few simple factors that go into the choice and can help you ensure that the new platform lives up to expectations and significantly improves the team's ability to create quality apps.
- Automation levels: Not every PaaS deployment option contains the same amount of automation functionality. This is important to consider, because some developers are mainly interested in using PaaS for its ability to help them provision platform elements independently, without contacting others.
- Custom coding: By the same token, some projects may call for customized stack setups. There is some variety between different PaaS products and the amount of elements that can be personalized and ways in which changes are requested and enacted. Selecting one that suits the needs of the organization could be important.
- Template library: Building multiple application instances on a template model could prove enormously helpful for developers who have included custom contingencies in their designs. Checking to ensure a prospective PaaS offering contains enough support for templating may help companies avoid difficult situations and frustrating development operations for their next round of software.
- Support structure: Some PaaS providers offer more customer service than others. The necessary level of developer support will likewise differ wildly, partially by the makeup of the teams involved but also in relation to the app projects these individuals are working on. If the projects are mission-critical, more support could end up helping immensely.
- Public vs. private: Deciding on a public or private cloud PaaS tool comes down to whether the purchasing firm is more interested in the heightened security of the private cloud or the low-cost scalability of the public cloud. Hybrid models may be important in these situations, with some vital resources stored in each cloud type.
Check out this PaaS Adoption Infographic which will walk you through each of the factors: