The Oracle Cloud layers
SaaS (Software as a Service): ready-to-use business applications. Oracle Fusion Cloud is SaaS — you subscribe to Oracle ERP, HCM, or SCM and use them without managing any infrastructure or code.
PaaS (Platform as a Service): tools and services for building on top of SaaS or creating new applications. OIC, VBCS, Oracle Autonomous Database, and Oracle Analytics Cloud are PaaS — you build solutions on Oracle’s managed platform.
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): raw compute, storage, and networking. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) — you manage operating systems and software but not physical hardware.
Where the work happens
As an Oracle Cloud PaaS consultant, you work primarily in the PaaS layer:
- OIC extends and connects SaaS applications
- VBCS extends Fusion Cloud with custom UIs
- BIP/OTBI reports on SaaS data
- ATP/ADW stores and processes data for PaaS applications
The underlying SaaS (Fusion ERP, HCM) is configured and extended through these PaaS tools, not modified directly.
The extension model
Oracle’s extension model has a hierarchy:
- Standard configuration: setups in Fusion (flexfields, workflow rules) — no code
- SaaS extensions: PCS workflows, VBCS embedded apps — low-code
- PaaS extensions: OIC integrations, standalone VBCS apps — full PaaS development
- ISV applications: independent software built on OCI — full IaaS
Most enterprise consulting engagements span layers 1-3.
Licensing implications
SaaS licences cover the use of Fusion applications. PaaS licences are separate — OIC, VBCS, OAC, ATP are individually priced. Understanding what a client has licenced determines what solutions you can build.
A client with Oracle HCM Cloud but no OIC licence can’t use OIC integrations — knowing the licencing landscape prevents proposing solutions the client can’t implement.