Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a cloud computing model where a third-party provider delivers hardware and software tools to users over the internet. These tools are typically needed for application development.

• PaaS providers host the hardware and software on their own infrastructure, freeing developers from having to install in-house hardware and software to develop or run a new application.
• It allows developers to focus on writing the application code, without needing to worry about the underlying infrastructure.

PaaS works by providing a platform with all the necessary components to develop and run applications over the internet.

• Users can access this platform via a web browser, meaning they don't need to worry about hardware or software installation.
• PaaS platforms typically include a development environment, a database, and a programming language execution environment.

Consider a software development company, SoftDev, that wants to develop a new web application. Instead of setting up their own development environment, they use a PaaS provider.

The developers write their code, test it, and deploy it all on the PaaS platform. This allows them to focus on writing the best code, without worrying about managing the underlying infrastructure.