An effective cloud strategy has the power to bring many advantages. These benefits may include elastic scalability, reduced upfront capital investment and anywhere access to applications and data.
To maximize these advantages, your organization needs to become familiar with various cloud service models such as IaaS, PaaS and SaaS as part of an emerging trend of “Everything as a Service” or XaaS.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
As the name implies, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provides users with cloud computing infrastructure via remote data centers and servers managed by third parties. IaaS can be particularly beneficial when used for applications that require high amounts of computing resources such as Internet of Things (IoT), event processing or artificial intelligence.
This cloud service model allows user organizations to bypass deploying new datacenter equipment as part of their operational growth strategy, instead enabling them to acquire IT infrastructure on a pay-as-you-go basis. Utilizing this method, user organizations can spin up virtual machines in minutes without making upfront capital investments and install software as required; additionally creating test environments or disaster recovery solutions is possible as well.
IaaS models allow user organizations to gain access to top-of-the-line technologies much sooner than they could implement them themselves, which can be particularly advantageous for companies dealing with fluctuating demand such as ecommerce websites.
To select the optimal cloud services provider for your company, it is essential to take into account security features, contractual terms, data sovereignty and privacy policies, service disruption policies and more when choosing cloud providers. Doing this will enable you to select an organization which supports your goals while offering maximum protection.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
PaaS is an intermediary service in the cloud continuum between IaaS and SaaS, selling access to everything software developers require for app development and operations–from middleware between OSes and end-user applications to hosting databases to store application data, rather than depending on customer infrastructure for such functions. PaaS solutions typically include middleware that serves as a bridge between OSes and end user applications as well as hosting database solutions to store application data rather than depending on relying solely on customer infrastructure for storage needs.
PaaS solutions go beyond traditional application development by offering businesses the capability of automating entire business processes through digital workflows that allow employees to make decisions, interact with others and record transactions without writing any code themselves.
Most serious PaaS vendors also provide native scalability capabilities within their execution environments, meaning a running application automatically adjusts compute, storage and network capacity as required without IT services staff manually configuring these resources. Scalability limits of PaaS environments may often be defined through pricing tiers that correspond with specific scalability limits.
Customers seeking PaaS offerings should understand the provider’s staffing, business history and model, leadership team, service support, product roadmaps and service costs as well as their billing scheme and nature of per-use charges – such as whether or not these charges are usage based.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS (Software as a Service) cloud services provide on-demand access to application software hosted on providers’ servers. Common uses include email, file sharing and calendar applications as well as HRM/ERP software applications that are provided directly over the Internet using web browsers – saving IT staff the trouble of installing applications on each individual computer.
SaaS vendors manage any potential technical issues affecting application performance and availability, leading to lower IT support costs and greater overall savings. SaaS’ web-based nature allows for faster deployments and easier updates than traditional software models while the need to maintain hardware is eliminated altogether.
Use of SaaS cloud service models can be beneficial to businesses looking to quickly adapt their infrastructures and deliver innovative products and services to both consumers and employees. In contrast to traditional software models which take time for development cycles to complete, SaaS speeds innovation and speed to market for all sizes of businesses both large and small.
Employing the appropriate cloud service model can also save enterprises money while meeting growing infrastructure requirements. A SaaS solution with support for automation, artificial intelligence, and IoT may increase efficiency while decreasing operational expenses by optimizing IT environments and automating processes; additionally it could assist companies with designing new products/services/workflow improvements to create business transformation initiatives.
Cloud Storage
Cloud Storage refers to using remote servers to store files, pictures and videos for easy online access via web portals, browsers or mobile applications with API integrations. Physical servers used for cloud storage could be located anywhere around the globe in order to maintain redundancy and ensure uptime for data.
Cloud Storage can offer businesses great advantages, as it enables them to offload the burden of maintaining hardware and software for data storage on-premises, saving on capital expenses as well as operational expenditures and infrastructure upgrades.
Cloud storage providers make life simpler by managing infrastructure for you when capacity reaches its limit, saving money while saving time by making information instantly available over the internet rather than waiting for IT teams to allocate and configure resources.
Businesses should remain aware that data security can be a serious risk when leaving their premises and may not enjoy the same level of protection as if kept on-premises. Loss or exfiltration risks are another major consideration that might make some organizations hesitate to use public cloud storage services, especially for highly regulated data.
