Do you own a business and need to store vast amounts of data or information? Do you want to streamline your IT resources and keep your costs low? Corporations today rely heavily on technology and its innovations, so it’s only logical to use them to start your operations and move them to success. Here, you may want to consider cloud computing.Â
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing allows you to access different services over the internet. If you have a lot of data that needs to be stored, you can use a cloud-based service to save and retrieve them from wherever you are. If a device has a web connection, data can be accessed without having to save files or use up space in your hardware.Â
Cloud computing services can either be public or private. Public services are servers available to everyone, and those using them are charged a fee, much like tenants in an apartment. Private services can only be accessed by a business owner or certain company members and are not shared with others outside the business.Â
According to HashiCorp, 90% of organizations use multi-cloud operations for their businesses, whether for storage or automation. This makes cloud computing essentially a must-have for any business.
The Types of Cloud Computing
There are three different types of cloud computing services, each with its own pros and cons.
Software-as-Service (SaaS)
Businesses get SaaS solutions or products from a provider that gives them access to the product and takes care of all the programming, infrastructure, and updates. Companies using SaaS pay a subscription fee and can access the service on any device connected to the internet.Â
An advantage of SaaS is that you only pay for the software you use, meaning you can choose to remove or add services depending on what your business needs. Another is that most of these services do not require you to download any programs because they have a web version that is readily available through a browser.
The drawback is that they are usually extremely specific and are not very customizable. If your business needs different solutions, you may need two or more SaaS subscriptions, which will cost you a lot.
Examples of SaaS services are Microsoft Office 365, Slack, and Dropbox.
Infrastructure-as-Service (IaaS)
IaaS solutions are more customizable and offer a wide range of services. The provider can give the organization all the basic tools they need for its IT infrastructure, whether that’s storage, servers, or web development tools.
These are usually on a pay-as-you-go basis, not needing to buy any hardware to keep onsite. This flexibility means that, unlike SaaS, you will need to monitor and maintain the infrastructure you have in place through a dashboard given by the provider.  Â
The advantage of IaaS is that you can purchase whatever storage or server you need now and still scale accordingly. It’s also beneficial for businesses that like to experiment with or develop different applications because of the existing web development tools that an IaaS provides.
Some services also add security to your data to protect against web attacks, lessening IT teams’ workload so they can focus on their core functions that meet business goals.Â
The drawback of IaaS is that it’s still managed on the provider’s servers and data centers. In the event of an outage, your business’ infrastructure could be affected. Another is that even if the service is flexible, your IT team still does not have full access to all the code, so in case of errors, they will still need to reach out to the provider for troubleshooting.
Examples of IaaS services are Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud.
Platform-as-Service (PaaS)
A business focused on web and app development will most likely turn to PaaS providers. PaaS is the middle ground between IaaS and SaaS. Purchasing PaaS products will provide you with similar structures as IaaS services, such as servers, storage, and security, as well as software you can get from SaaS services, such as web development applications.
Like the other types of cloud computing, this service is offered on a pay-as-you-go basis without needing to purchase any external hardware.Â
The advantage of PaaS is that the creation of new applications is reduced because of the existing applications provided by the service. Depending on the provider, your IT team can test and deploy quickly. The tools on the internet also mean that your IT team does not have to be in the same room, meaning that all development can be done anywhere.Â
The disadvantage of PaaS is that each provider offers something different, so you will need to carefully discern to find which company to partner with. If you are already an established business that wants to move to PaaS, you will need to review and check your existing infrastructure because there may be some compatibility issues when you migrate.
Examples of PaaS services are Google App Engine, OpenShift, and Microsoft Azure.
Which is Right for Your Business?
Assessing your industry, budget, and the needs of your employees is the key to determining which type of cloud computing is right for your business.Â
For instance, an advertising agency may want to use SaaS because they don’t need extensive infrastructure or web development and just need specific applications. A gaming development company making a multiplayer game that wants to scale and use tools to make work easier may choose an IaaS solution that gives them kits to track player analytics and verification.Â
If a company focuses on web development for clients, it may want to consider PaaS because of the ease of the different support for coding languages. Â
It’s also important to remember that your business does not have to be locked into a specific type. You can combine different cloud computing types depending on the size of your company and the solutions you need. Carefully consider all the providers you can find, and you’ll be on your way to setting up your business for success and business growth with the help of this technology.