Which type of cloud service model provides applications over the internet?

The correct answer is Software as a Service (SaaS). This cloud service model delivers applications over the internet, allowing users to access software through a web browser without needing to install or maintain it on their local devices. With SaaS, the cloud provider hosts the applications and manages all the underlying infrastructure, which includes servers, storage, and security. This model offers significant advantages such as easy scalability, automatic updates, and remote access from any location with internet connectivity.

For example, popular SaaS applications include email services like Gmail, collaboration tools like Microsoft 365, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems like Salesforce. These applications provide users with the functionality required for their tasks without the complexities of managing the software themselves.

In contrast, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provides virtualized computing resources over the internet but focuses on delivering infrastructure components rather than applications. Platform as a Service (PaaS) offers a development environment for building applications, giving developers tools and services to create software but not the end-user applications themselves. Network as a Service (NaaS) relates to network services and connectivity but does not encompass applications delivered to users directly. Thus, SaaS is distinctly recognized for providing applications directly to end users over the internet.