What type of service provides a platform for application development without needing physical infrastructure?

The correct answer is Platform as a Service (PaaS) because it offers a cloud-based environment that allows developers to build, test, and deploy applications without having to manage the underlying infrastructure. PaaS provides the necessary tools, services, and runtime environments to facilitate application development, which includes everything from servers and storage to networking and development frameworks. This model allows developers to focus on coding and application functionality rather than worrying about server management or network configurations.

By using PaaS, teams can quickly provision development environments, scale applications as needed, and collaborate more efficiently, all while relying on the cloud provider to handle the hardware and software layers. This setup significantly accelerates the development lifecycle and supports innovation in app creation, as it removes barriers associated with physical infrastructure maintenance and resource allocation.