＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
You’ve probably heard the term “SaaS” more and more recently. Other terms include “cloud,” “PaaS,” “IaaS,” and “ASP,” which can be a little overwhelming.
So today, I’d like to explain it in an easy-to-understand way.
1. What is the Cloud?
Since “SaaS” is a type of “cloud,” I’ll start by explaining what the cloud is.
The word “cloud” is derived from the English word “cloud” and describes the “vague, intangible world of the Internet.”
The term was first coined by Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who stated the following at a 2006 Search Engine Strategy Conference:
It doesn’t matter what kind of browser you use, how you access the internet, whether it’s a PC, a Mac, or a mobile phone. We live in an age where if you have access to the vast internet, like a cloud, you can enjoy its benefits and rain of blessings.
Today, the term refers to “all services provided via the Internet.”
With packaged software, you pay an initial fee and then install, operate, and manage the application on your company’s server or personal computer.
With cloud services, users pay a usage fee for the application, which is managed and operated by the user, and use it as a service via the Internet.
Cloud services are classified into three categories: SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service).
2. What is SaaS?
“SaaS” stands for “Software as a Service.” In other words, functions previously provided as packaged software are now provided as cloud services.
Today, when people generally talk about cloud services, they are referring to “SaaS.” Driven by themes such as work style reform and digital marketing, the market is experiencing rapid growth of over 10% annually. Its market size is expected to reach approximately 380 billion yen by 2020.
SaaS has three characteristics:
(1) Free access anywhere with an internet connection.
(2) Data can be stored in online storage.
(3) Management and editing can be carried out by multiple teams and multiple people.
3. What is PaaS?
“PaaS” is a cloud service that provides development infrastructure including servers, storage, and networks, as well as development middleware. The platform is the foundation of the application.
PaaS has three characteristics:
(1) Development can be performed on the provided platform.
(2) Extensive platform information allows for a wide range of development possibilities.
(3) You can build your own system using the platform.
4. What is IaaS?
“IaaS” refers to a service that provides users with cloud services that provide functionality traditionally provided as hardware, such as servers, storage, and networks, allowing them to freely develop apps and systems.
IaaS has two characteristics:
(1) Highly flexible apps and platforms can be created.
(2) Specialized knowledge is required.
5. What is ASP?
“ASP” stands for “Application Service Provider.”
When it first appeared in 1998, it was predicted to become explosively popular, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises, due to its economic and rationale.
However, its popularity gradually declined due to a lack of high-speed internet, security concerns, and an inability to integrate with other apps.
ASP was the predecessor of SaaS, and SaaS became explosively popular by overcoming the drawbacks of ASP. Then, in 2006, the new term “cloud” emerged to describe SaaS.