Reference to “The Cloud” has become part of everyday communication in the technology world. So, what is the cloud? Cloud services are off-premise resources provided over the Internet. The cloud infrastructure includes the hardware and software components, such as servers, storage, networking and virtualization software required to support the needs of a cloud computing model.
Cloud services are becoming increasingly popular:
Often the technology deployed is kept current so the user always has access to the latest features and benefits.
Reduced capital expenses and the associated budget issues are important benefits. By using an operating expense model in most cloud-based solutions, quicker solutions can be embraced.
IaaS
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a form of cloud computing that provides virtualized computing resources over the Internet. IaaS can be utilized by enterprise customers to create cost effective and easily scalable IT solutions where the complexities and expenses of managing the underlying hardware are outsourced to the cloud provider. If the scale of a business customer’s operations fluctuate, or they are looking to expand, they can tap into the cloud resource as and when they need it rather than purchase, install and integrate hardware themselves.
IaaS platforms offer highly scalable resources that can be adjusted on-demand. This makes IaaS well-suited for workloads that are temporary, experimental or change unexpectedly.
MaaS
Monitoring as a Service (Maas) allows you to keep your localized infrastructure and setup inexpensive monitoring for your systems and services. You also have total control over which devices are monitored, polling intervals, and monitoring methods (ping, HTTP GET, etc.). You can also setup email, SMS, and other notifications for failed services through the vendor’s control panel software.
PaaS
Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a category of cloud computing services that provides a platform allowing customers to develop, run, and manage applications without the complexity of building and maintaining the infrastructure typically associated with developing and launching an app.[1][2][3] PaaS can be delivered in two ways: as a public cloud service from a provider, where the consumer controls software deployment with minimal configuration options, and the provider provides the networks, servers, storage, OS, ‘middleware’ (i.e.; java runtime, .net runtime, integration, etc.), database and other services to host the consumer’s application; or as a private service (software or appliance) inside the firewall, or as software deployed on a public infrastructure as a service
SaaS
Software as a Service (SaaS) is a software distribution model in which applications are hosted by a vendor or service provider and made available to customers over a network, typically the Internet. PaaS refers to the delivery of operating systems and associated services over the Internet without downloads or installation. IaaS involves outsourcing the equipment used to support operations, including storage, hardware, servers and networking components, all of which are made accessible over a network.
SaaS removes the need for organizations to install and run applications on their own computers or in their own data centers. This eliminates the expense of hardware acquisition, provisioning and maintenance, as well as software licensing, installation and support.
UCaaS
Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) is a delivery model in which a variety of communication and collaboration applications and services are outsourced to a third-party provider and delivered over an IP network, usually the public Internet.
UCaaS technologies include enterprise messaging and presence technology, online meetings, telephony and video conferencing. UCaaS is known for providing high levels of availability (HA) as well as flexibility and scalability for core business tasks.
Many companies use UCaaS to avoid the capital expenses associated with deploying a unified communications solution on their own.
XaaS
XaaS is a collective term said to stand for a number of things including “X as a service,” “anything as a service” or “everything as a service.” The acronym refers to an increasing number of services that are delivered over the Internet rather than provided locally or on-site. XaaS is the essence of cloud computing.
Everything as a Service is a good idea and not just in theory — XaaS can help your business go toe-to-toe with the big guys with very little up-front cash and minimal investment in time to get started.
Hybrid Cloud
Everyday there are more cloud platforms, services and environments surfacing, it is often challenging to keep abreast of the cloud evolution. One trend that is clear is the move to hybrid cloud, with the common progression for organisations being a transition from private to public followed by hybrid.
Hybrid cloud utilizes both on premise resources as well as remote server based cloud infrastructure to achieve the right balance between scalability, flexibility and performance. Accordingly, the hybrid cloud is often a preferred cloud choice.
Be Selective
When it comes to choosing who will assist you on your journey, be selective and find partners that will support your business model and acknowledge and understand your needs.
Credits
– Interoute
– Linux Magazine
– Ricky M. & Monique L. Magalhaes
– TechTarget Network
