Application platforms provide runtime environments for application logic. They manage the life cycle of an application or application component, and ensure the availability, reliability, scalability, security and monitoring of application logic. They typically support distributed application deployments across multiple nodes. Some also support cloud-style operations (elasticity, multitenancy and self-service).
Gartner defines cloud application platforms as those that provide managed application runtime environments for applications and integrated capabilities to manage the life cycle of an application or application component. They typically enable distributed application deployments and support cloud-style operations — such as elasticity, multitenancy and self-service — without requiring infrastructure provisioning or container management. Cloud application platforms are designed to facilitate the deployment, runtime execution, and management of modern cloud-native or cloud-optimized applications (e.g., web-based apps, back-end services with/without APIs, etc.) without the need to manage any underlying compute infrastructure. Also, they are designed to enhance developer productivity, accelerate development and deployment cycles, and increase operational effectiveness by making it easier to scale on demand.