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According to Tenfold.com While the cloud now dominates all aspects of computing end use—from providing personal email to managing enterprise-level company CRM software—the industry is seeing more and more of the larger companies turn to infrastructure as a service (IaaS) for servers, data storage, hardware management, and bandwidth. IaaS, where businesses make use of pay-as-you-go cloud infrastructure from a service provider, was the largest cloud computing growth area in 2016, and it seems like 2017 will continue this trend. IaaS allows enterprise-level companies to function more effectively, using virtual machines to create data networks, manage large, international business networks, and develop apps and software.
There are three key elements of the cloud computing stack: software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS). IaaS is the aspect of the stack that allows companies the management of their platform at an architectural level. With IaaS, users manage and control applications, data, middleware, and operating systems, while providers managing servers, hard drives, and storage. IaaS allows users to design and implement their own IaaS software from virtual machines, while the provider manages IaaS hardware. Whereas SaaS and PaaS are commonly used for all levels of computer use—Google apps, for example, hosts millions of personal and professional users—IaaS is specifically keyed toward enterprise-level companies that operate on a large scale. In other words, IaaS providers like Amazon AWS and Google Compute Engine maintain the systems that allow companies to, for example, create digital communication technology or customer relations management software. IaaS can also offer momentary benefits with hybrid on-premises/cloud use (‘cloud bursting’), in which businesses can off-load tasks to the cloud when necessary.
Additionally, IaaS providers are beginning to move up the stack, offering databases, messaging queues, and other services. Tech analysts call these services, IaaS+ services, where users can access the initial IaaS services with other platform services. Crucially, these services are more modular; a company can have the provider manage databases or email, for example, while still allowing their employees to manage raw code to create software.
Cost savings: one of the pivotal reasons why companies choose IaaS is cost. IaaS allows businesses to start with and maintain lower infrastructure costs. By using IaaS, not only does a business not need to invest initial capital in creating servers, hardware, and storage infrastructure from the start, IaaS also reduces maintenance fees and IT services. These kinds of savings are especially productive for mid-range companies; IaaS manages startup cost and provides a pay-as-you-go system that can be costly to scale.
Scaling and flexibility: IaaS offers dynamic scaling and flexibility. Because IaaS providers keep the physical hardware, servers, and storage, companies can add or subtract necessary infrastructure based on their current needs. Companies that see spikes in server usage do not need to allocate infrastructure for their maximum amount of usage. Instead, the IaaS provider can offer the necessary amount of infrastructure at any time. Additionally, IaaS provides flexibility, allowing access in any location or space.
Reducing and innovating IT support: IaaS providers take care of server IT support, letting users focus their IT support on their own software and platform. IaaS allows IT to shift focus to innovating and maintaining applications rather than working with servers and storage. Moreover, IaaS makes hardware more efficient across industries, allowing a minimum amount of hardware to be responsible for a maximum number of businesses and organizations.
Full control of the VM: Because customers control their virtual machines, they have the flexibility to build their own VM and run any software they’d like. Essentially, users have maximum control over their virtual infrastructure without the overhead costs or large-scale maintenance that hardware requires. In other words, IaaS allows a company to tailor its virtual infrastructure to their needs, framing the architecture in ways that are most proactive and efficient for their company.
There are, of course, specific challenges to working with an IaaS provider. Companies must be able to manage their platforms, applications, and other aspects of their virtual infrastructure. For enterprise-grade businesses, however, IaaS is undeniably the emerging choice for large-scale companies.
Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) can provide dynamic, flexible servers, storage, and hardware for companies that seek to create modify, and run their own software platforms and applications. IaaS allows companies to use a virtual infrastructure without the large-scale startup costs, IT personnel, and storage space needed to maintain local infrastructure. While IaaS requires businesses to maintain their own platforms and applications, IaaS provides storage, network, and computational hardware for enterprise-level cloud-based computing, available to any amount of users at any time.
“This article was originally published on Tenfold.com.”
