What is IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)? | MSPAlliance

Q: What is IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)?

IaaS delivers core infrastructure — compute, storage, and networking — over the internet, letting MSPs build flexible private or hybrid cloud offerings without large capital outlay.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) delivers fundamental computing resources — virtual machines, storage, and networking — over the internet as a service. If the cloud is a house, IaaS is the foundation.

IaaS vs. PaaS vs. SaaS

IaaS — you manage the OS, apps, and data; the provider manages the underlying hardware (e.g. AWS EC2, Azure VMs).
PaaS — the provider also manages the runtime/platform; you manage just your app and data.
SaaS — the provider manages everything; you just use the application.

Why IaaS Matters for MSPs

IaaS lets MSPs build private-cloud offerings with greater visibility and control, reduced capital investment, and third-party maintenance — turning infrastructure into a flexible, recurring-revenue service for their clients.