When any service provider hosts infrastructure, platforms, or software over the cloud and makes them available to users through the internet, they are known as cloud services.
Cloud services help smoothen the flow of user data from front-end clients, via the internet to the service provider’s systems, and back. Users only require a computer or phone or tablet, an operating system, and internet connectivity to avail cloud services .
Cloud service types
Any type of infrastructure, platforms, software, or technologies that can be accessed over the internet without requiring additional software downloads can be termed as cloud computing services. The different types of cloud computing services are:
- Infrastructure – as – a – Service (IaaS)
- Software – as – a – Service (SaaS)
- Platform – as – a – Service (PaaS)
- IT – as – a – Service
Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is a cloud computing service that involves offering important storage and networking resources on demand, on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Migrating a business’s infrastructure to an IaaS solution helps in reducing the overall cost and time spent on maintaining on-premises data centers. It also helps saving hardware costs and gain instantaneous business insights. With IaaS solutions a business has the flexibility to scale its IT resources depending on the demand. They help in the quick provision of the latest applications, increasing the reliability of the underlying infrastructure.
What is Infrastructure as a Service?
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a cloud computing service that allows businesses to rent or lease servers for computing and cloud storage. The users can run any operating system or applications on these rented servers without having to worry about maintaining the servers and the costs involved.
How does IaaS work?
IaaS users can access the resources and services of the host through a wide area network (WAN) like the internet. They can also use the cloud provider’s services for installing the remaining elements of an application stack. E.g. a user can log in to an IaaS platform for creating virtual machines (VMs); installing operating systems; deploying databases and creating storage buckets to take backups. The user can use the host’s services for tracking costs, monitoring performance, balancing the network traffic, troubleshooting the application issues and managing disaster recovery.
A cloud computing model requires the involvement of an external provider. The provider is generally a third-party organization specializing in marketing IaaS. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) are the most prominent IaaS providers. A business can also decide to deploy a private cloud and become its own provider of infrastructure services.
What are the advantages of IaaS?
- Cost reduction and optimization
IaaS helps in eradicating the costs involved in configuring and managing a physical data center. This makes it a highly cost-efficient choice for migrating to the cloud. IaaS providers offer a pay-as-you-go subscription model that helps in reducing hardware costs and maintenance expenses. It enables the company’s IT team to focus on core business.
- Increases scale and improves the performance of IT resources
With IaaS a business can scale its IT resources globally and accommodate the rise in resource demand whenever required. It helps in the easy and fast delivery of IT resources to employees from anywhere in the world thereby enhancing the application performance.
- Improves stability, reliability, and supportability
With IaaS a business need not worry about maintaining and upgrading any software and hardware. They don’t have to troubleshoot and work on equipment problems. As per the agreement, the service provider of IaaS assures that the cloud infrastructure provided is reliable and meets service-level agreements (SLAs).
- Achieving business continuity and disaster recovery
Achieving and improving business continuity,disaster recovery and backup is an expensive affair because it requires intensive technology and staff support. With the appropriate SLA, IaaS can help reduce this technology and staff cost. With IaaS one can access applications and data even in case of a disaster or outage issue.
- Improves security
With the right SLA, a cloud service provider can offer better security for your applications and data in comparison to the security a business would achieve in house.
- Promotes innovation
Once a business has decided to launch a new product or initiative, with IaaS the required computing infrastructure can be available in a matter of few minutes or hours, rather than taking days or weeks if the infrastructure has to be sourced in house. Also since the business is not required to set up the underlying infrastructure, IaaS enables it to deliver its apps to the users faster.
Cloud Solutions from Integral Choice
Integral Choice is a Telecommunication and Cloud Agency that focuses on Customer Migration to hosted and contact center IP services. We offer cloud solutions for every business need.
A business can take advantage of several cloud solutions options available with us. Cloud solutions can be customized, ranging from the public cloud and hybrid cloud to private cloud solutions options, depending on their requirements and budget. We also offer cloud migration services, disaster recovery solutions, Infrastructure as a Service, Software as a Service and IT as a Service.
We’re the leading provider of cloud solutions for all types of businesses big or small. Contact Integral Choice today and speak with our representative to learn more about our cloud solutions and services.