Platform as a service (PaaS)

When production or quality system software runs on PaaS, the manufacturer still controls and must assure its applications and configuration, while relying on the provider for the underlying infrastructure. FDA's computer software assurance guidance discusses this split.

The capability provided to the consumer is to deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquired applications created using programming languages, libraries, services, and tools supported by the provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, or storage, but has control over the deployed applications and possibly configuration settings for the application-hosting environment.

FDA guidance: Computer Software Assurance for Production and Quality Management System Software (February 2026), Section IV, Definitions