WHEN most people hear the term “Serverless,” they imagine a magical cloud that runs their apps without a single machine involved.
In reality, Serverless computing still relies on servers, just not the developers have to manage. It’s a new model of building applications where the cloud provider handles all the heavy lifting: provisioning, scaling, and maintaining servers. Developers simply write and deploy their code as small functions, and the rest happens automatically. This shift is quietly powering much of the modern web from how Netflix processes your seasons and movies to how TikTok delivers lightning-fast content.
Serverless is a cloud computing model where developers write application code without worrying about the underlying infrastructure. You don’t need to spin up a virtual machine, configure autoscaling, or maintain operating systems. Instead, you upload your code (typically in the form of small functions), and the cloud provider runs it in response to event, it can be a user uploading a file, clicking a button, or making a payment.
Across the globe, industry leaders like Netflix, Airbnb, and Coca-Cola have embraced Serverless computing to simplify operations and improve scalability. Netflix uses AWS Lambda to automate video encoding and image processing without needing dedicated infrastructure. Airbnb leverages Serverless functions for real-time fraud detection and booking validations, enabling high responsiveness during peak loads. Coca-Cola, meanwhile, uses Serverless APIs to power its smart vending machines, only consuming resources when needed, hence leading to significant cost savings.
On the product side, popular digital services like Figma, Slack, and Dropbox also rely on Serverless models. Figma uses Serverless functions to manage live collaboration events between users, ensuring smooth real-time editing. Slack uses AWS Lambda internally to automate notifications and internal workflows. Dropbox uses Serverless code to extract metadata and generate previews for user-uploaded files and resultantly handling millions of requests without managing backend servers.
For Pakistani companies, especially those in fintech, e-commerce, logistics, and digital services, adopting Serverless computing can be a strategic advantage. Fintech platforms like Sadapay, NayaPay, and TAG could benefit by using Serverless for real-time fraud checks, mobile notifications, or payment verifications without needing dedicated backend teams. E-commerce platforms such as Daraz or local Shopify-based stores could use Serverless functions to manage flash sale traffic, product recommendations, or order tracking. Similarly, logistics and ride-hailing services like Bykea and Truck It In can optimize operations using event-driven architecture for things like geolocation updates, SMS alerts, and delivery tracking. The cost efficiency, automatic scaling, and low maintenance nature of Serverless computing make it an ideal fit for Pakistan’s fast-moving digital economy, where lean teams need to move quickly and scale affordably.
There is a growing need for Pakistan-based data centres and local cloud providers that offer Serverless capabilities or function-as-a-service (FaaS) models. Companies like Jazz Cloud, PTCL, Khazana Cloud can fill this gap by providing cost-effective, low-latency, and regulation-compliant cloud environments. Local Serverless infrastructure would also support youth entrepreneurs, AI start-ups, and university incubators, allowing them to build and test cloud-native apps. Government of Pakistan can support local data centre by subsidizing the energy, providing low rent infrastructure to such companies. The shift towards cloud in evident and hopefully this time Pakistan will not be left behind in this race.
—Technical Director, HCS Cloud Deployment and migration Projects (Huawei Middle East)
(theycallmehassan@gmail.com)
