The world of IT is full of acronyms. We love a good abbreviation and there’s nothing more confusing for non-IT-savvy business owners than all of the strange and wonderful acronyms around today. Some of these you might have seen, and we’re going to break three of the most common ones down to make it easier to understand, so that your business can get the most of cloud based infrastructure.
First things first, let’s explore what cloud based infrastructure — or cloud computing — is. Cloud computing is a simple term for a complicated IT service which uses servers, databases and data centres to connect with computers, and to move information around. A typical cloud based computing model will have the following sorts of characteristics:
- A user can access information from anywhere with the right access credentials. A very simple example of this is Gmail. Provided you have a working internet connection and the login details you can get onto your email inbox from anywhere in the world.
- A user can get onto the server from any kind of device, whether it’s a laptop or a mobile device
- You can scale and be flexible with the delivery for cloud based services
So now, let’s take a look at what SaaS, PaaS and IaaS are, and how you can benefit from each in your business.
SaaS – Use it
This stands for software as a service, and is a very well known form of cloud service which is used by consumers. You might have heard of a little thing called Netflix? That’s a prime example of SaaS.
You:
- Use the software from anywhere over the internet
- Access the application which is managed from a central location
- Don’t have to install anything or update software
- Don’t worry about integration with a third party app – because this is all done with an API
Is SaaS for you?d
If you have an application where the usage and demand changes – for example holiday or seasonal demand – or need multi-platform access (web and mobile) then SaaS might be perfect for your business. In a corporate application, there are plenty of SaaS services which are perfect for growing businesses.
PaaS – Build on it
Standing for platform as a service, this method of delivery provides developers with a framework upon which to test, build and develop a custom application. Need to test and deploy an application quickly? PaaS is what you need. With this kind of technology behind them, businesses (or a third party provider) can manage an operating system, servers, storage, networking and the PaaS software itself. The developers manage the applications.
- Similar to SaaS in many ways – instead of using the software over the web, PaaS allows a platform for creating software which is then delivered over the web.
- Developers work on PaaS and can be free to focus on building software applications instead of worrying about load balancing, software updates, storage or anything else usually involved with infrastructure and development.
Is PaaS for you?
Can provide a service for the facilitation of dev testing and deployment. Useful for hosting software applications in an integrated development environment. If you have multiple developers working on a project, or have external parties involved, PaaS is a highly effective way to bring speed to the dev process.
IaaS – Migrate to it
This model stands for infrastructure as a service, and includes servers, storage, networks and your entire operating system as a service from an external company. If your business seeks to run remotely or you want to enjoy security and unparalleled speed, IaaS is for you.
- IaaS includes multiple users running on a single piece of hardware
- Almost everything is available ‘aaS’ or as a service
- Hugely scalable – you only pay for the users you need – and you have far greater control with monthly billing
- Flexible and controlled environment for your users and business to run in
Is IaaS for you?
If you need utter control over your IT and computing needs, IaaS is for you. If you are a startup and don’t want to have a big investment take up working capital – but need an application without the financial commitment, then IaaS is for you. Similarly, if your business sees spikes and occasional slumps then IaaS is helpful as a cost-controlling method.
Conclusion
Each has its own set of distinct benefits – and when you understand what your business needs you can choose the right option for your company. Want to know more? At Core Desktop we offer a range of IaaS and cloud computing services to enhance the operation of any business. Please get in touch. You can call us on 03 9626 4400 or contact us online.
