5 Types Of Cloud Computing Services

Cloud Computing is increasingly used and provides access to shared and configurable computing resources, based on various principles such as virtualization, pooling, flexibility, the notion of on-demand service, and quality of service.

For an architecture to be called cloud, there are some characteristics to respect. It must be an on-demand service, accessible through the network, resources must be shared and flexible, and the service must be monitored, controlled, and optimized.

Customers are then offered various types of Cloud services, where the most common are IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. Let’s see the differences between these services in order to help you better understand what this means.

Types Of Cloud Computing Services 

Even though cloud computing evolves over time, it is still divided into five categories of service—infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), software as a service (SaaS),  VPN as a service, and Storage as a Service.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

The acronym IaaS stands for Infrastructure as a Service where the company offers a Cloud Computing service with a virtual server with a basic hardware configuration defined according to the chosen offer.

From then on, when you opt for this type of service, you must manage the entire server, that is to say from the operating system layer to the application layer. You are provided with computing power, storage space, and network connectivity.

Clearly, you are provided with the hardware resources and the virtual server and then you manage.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

The acronym PaaS means Platform as a Service, that is to say that it provides you with a virtual server with an operating system installed and configured. Thus, you can deploy your applications on the server, like business applications that you must configure yourself.

Again, you are provided with the hardware resources and the virtual server and, in addition, the operating system is managed by the host, it is not you who takes care of it. The platform is delivered turnkey, as far as you are concerned, you manage all the data and applications.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

The acronym SaaS means Software as a Service where the goal is to deliver a ready-to-use application solution. You do not take care of the server, nor the operating system, nor the application part, you just use the application provided.

These applications are accessible by a web browser in order to be accessible from any type of equipment, and you pay the host more or less depending on what you consume in terms of resources on the virtual server, for example. Using this service, you relieve yourself of the maintenance, operation, and hosting of the applications like business IT services of PWR Technologies.

This type of service can be reminiscent of applications in ASP mode, i.e. applications based on a client/server architecture in hosted mode. However, SaaS-based applications are made in such a way as to be accessed directly via the Internet in Web mode, whereas often in ASP it is an additional layer. In addition, SaaS offers are managed and hosted by the publisher himself, whereas in general in ASP mode this is entrusted to a host. Similarly, in ASP mode you pay for a license and you sign a contract binding the two parties for several years, whereas with SaaS you pay according to what you consume.

Additional Cloud Computing Services

Apart from these three main services, there is a multitude of additional services that are being created. Here are some of them.

• DaaS: Desktop as a Service, which corresponds to a hosted virtual desktop, i.e. the outsourcing of a desktop virtualization infrastructure.
• STaaS: Storage as a Service, i.e. storage as a service corresponding to online file storage, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, SkyDrive, or Ubuntu One.
• NaaS: Network as a Service, i.e. the provision of network services.
• VPNaaS: VPN as a service for secure remote access VPN as a service.

Examples of Cloud Computing

Cloud is now anchored in almost all the tasks we perform on computers. Thus, some local software like Microsoft Office 365 uses Cloud Computing for storage. However, Microsoft also offers various web-based applications, united under Office Online. These are the internet versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, accessible from an internet browser without the need for installation. You will find Google Drive as well in the example.

Benefits of Cloud Computing in Business

Cloud computing is a unique use case that allows businesses to acquire competitive storage benefits in order to save costs and speed innovation by strengthening communication with stakeholders and clients. Cloud Computing, in particular, provides several benefits to businesses.

• Data Center and IT service costs can sometimes be decreased and scaled based on spending. The prices will be more or lower according to the volume of use.
• With Cloud Computing, expense and risk-taking for creativity could be dramatically decreased. Companies may thus take more risky investments and explore more innovative concepts. New initiatives can be actually supported if they acquire credibility, or they can be discontinued if they perform poorly. Accessibility and flexibility provide businesses tremendous chances to test new business concepts and develop them up if these prove successful.
• Approximately 20 brands comprise asset value streams nowadays. Cloud computing enables a corporation to interact with its strategic partners in new and interesting ways. Collaboration, on the other hand, is fundamental to gaining a competitive edge along the value chain. Workers from many firms can collaborate inside a virtual company network as whether they were employed for one company by creating shared workplaces inside Community Clouds. Companies all work inside the same asset production system and exchange conversation, information, and computing infrastructure.

Summary

Originally, cloud computing was supposed to simplify corporate computing environments. However, according to a recent study conducted by Microsoft, almost a third of companies work with 4 or more cloud vendors. Hence, we can consider that the multi-cloud is the future of the cloud.

This trend is linked to several factors. First, some companies just want more options. By using multiple cloud providers to support different applications and workloads, these companies can use the solution that best fits each of their needs.

And it’s all about types of cloud computing services.