Microsoft's Azure Blockchain as a Service offers Ethereum (adapted for Consortium purpose) and other private blockchain implementations, IBM's Blockchain as a Service offers the Hyperledger Fabric permissioned Blockchain network. It's understandable that currently most organisations/companies would seek permissioned blockchain networks, a blockchain network where they can control who joins the network and who is allowed to conduct transactions etc.
However, there seems to be no interest or even any existing offer for permissionless blockchain as a service. Is there any benefit/point in offering the Ethereum protocol in public permissionless configuration through blockchain as a service / SaaS model?
The point as described by Microsoft for Blockchain as a Service is a quickly provisioned environment where the creator can get familiar with the technology, fail fast, fast recovery, low-price model based on pay per usage etc. But when a permissionless blockchain network is considered by any company such as Storj which currently runs on the permissionless Bitcoin protocol, would they in any case seek blockchain as a service? To me it seems there is no point.