What is the main advantage of using Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)?

The main advantage of using Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the lower upfront costs for server hardware. IaaS allows organizations to access computing resources on-demand through the cloud, eliminating the need to invest heavily in physical hardware and infrastructure. This model enables businesses to scale their resources based on their current needs, paying only for what they use rather than committing to large capital expenditures.

By utilizing IaaS, companies also benefit from reduced maintenance and management costs associated with physical servers, as the cloud provider typically handles these elements. This flexibility is particularly advantageous for startups or businesses looking to innovate without the financial burden of traditional on-premises infrastructure.

In contrast to the other options, IaaS does not focus on providing full software management capabilities, pre-installed applications, or immediate software licensing, which are more characteristic of different cloud service models such as Platform as a Service (PaaS) or Software as a Service (SaaS). These models offer varying degrees of software and application management but do not inherently address the need for scalable and cost-effective infrastructure that defines IaaS.