If you are a business and are anywhere near the vicinity of technology, then you must have encountered and enjoyed the amazing advantages of cloud computing.

From SMEs to large-scale enterprises, cloud service has become the invariable choice for IT resources. The primary reason for this is the acute pressure companies are experiencing for an IT infrastructure that is both robust and cost-effective.

Now, if you are to avail a cloud-based service then you must understand the different service models associated with it. Here, we are going to discuss the various aspects of a cloud service model including why we need cloud computing, what are their types and how to choose between them.

So, let’s get started.

 

Why do Businesses Need Cloud Computing?

In the current scenario, almost every business has adopted or is migrating to cloud computing. This is due to varied reasons such as on-demand availability of system resources, cost-effectiveness, and huge capacity of data storage as compared to on-premise servers.

If you are aiming to turn your business into a dynamic one, then cloud computing is the solution.

Surely, there are certain disadvantages to talk about but the advantages are much higher and so we are going to talk about some major advantages of cloud computing,

 

Increased efficiency

Developers can now accelerate the development and deployment process with cloud computing. Innovation and execution of new ideas are easy since there is no hardware or software limitation associated with it.

Scalability

At varying stages of your business, you may find the need for your software infrastructure to accommodate your changing needs. Cloud will allow you to seamlessly scale up or down your IT resources at any point in your business without harming your data or your business.

Affordability

You pay for what you use in a cloud service. It discards the unnecessary costs associated with the upgrades and maintenance of on-premises software and hardware.

Security

Typically, a cloud service maintains industry-grade security protocols. Thus, you can be rest of your data security.

There are different types of cloud computing such as public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud, and multi-cloud, including the cloud services IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and serverless models.

Let us talk about them.

 

What are Cloud Service Models and Their Types?

Cloud service model is a term that defines the method of how a cloud service provider delivers cloud services to its customers and how it is managed. There are three main types of cloud service models that a provider can serve and a user can avail of – SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS.

You can access these through the internet via web browsers or web applications that are available on the market. The cloud service models are designed to enable various teams to collaborate online on a single platform for their work.

Instead of relying on-premises software or their local servers, companies are now preferring to outsource their storage requirements to cloud service providers. This has benefitted the companies by relieving them from the responsibility of maintaining infrastructure and ensuring data safety.

So, here is a brief description of the cloud service models to help you know them better.

SaaS

Software as a service or SaaS is a cloud-based delivery model for software services. In this model, the cloud provider develops and maintains cloud application software.  It offers automatic updates for SaaS applications and makes software available to the users via the Internet.

It is a pay-as-you-go service that can be used for free with limited access to features or by a paid licensed subscription with a wider variety of features available.

Since it is a cloud-based service, the SaaS cloud model requires no installations or downloads in your current on-premise software infrastructure. This will exempt your organization from the pain of installing the software to each computer and the effort required for supporting and maintaining it.

Where initially SaaS was designed to serve a single business purpose, it has now evolved to connect varied sections from financials, procurements, supply chains, human resources, and every other requirement to run your business processes. Some examples of SaaS are Dropbox, Google Docs, Microsoft Office 365, etc.

IaaS

Infrastructure as a Service or IaaS is one of the primary types of cloud computing model which essentially provides virtual computer resources including computing, storage, and network resources through the cloud.

An IaaS cloud provider may supply you with basic software infrastructure along with maintenance and support of the software system. It is an on-demand service based on a pay-as-you-go policy.

You may choose and use the computer resources you need for your business objectives without having to actually deploy hardware on your premises.

Migrating your organization’s infrastructure to an IaaS cloud solution will allow you to lower your on-premises data center maintenance, save money on hardware expenditures, and receive real-time business analytics. IaaS solutions allow you to scale your IT resources up and down according to the demand.

They also assist you in swiftly provisioning new apps and enhance the resilience of your underlying infrastructure. Some of the leading IaaS cloud service providers are Amazon Web Services, Google Compute Engine, and Microsoft Azure.

PaaS

Platform as a Service or PaaS, is simply a cloud platform where you can build, test, and organize various applications for your organization. It is basically working on an operating system from a remote server. Implementing PaaS will streamline your company’s entire software development process.

Further, its virtual runtime environment provides an ideal platform for creating and testing apps. It is subscription-based and offers variable pricing choices based on your business’s needs.

It is either your company or your cloud service provider that is in charge of managing the full set of cloud resources available in the form of servers, storage, and networking.

In short, PaaS is a flexible, scalable cloud platform where you can develop, deploy, run, and manage varied apps. Examples of PaaS include Google App Engine and AWS Elastic Beanstalk.

 

Choosing between SaaS, IaaS, PaaS

Before you choose any one of the cloud service models, let us put them under close inspection. This will help you choose the best fit for your company.

Benefits of SaaS

• Affordability: SaaS is affordable as it helps reduce the expenditures associated with purchasing, installing, maintaining, and upgrading computing hardware.
• Accessibility: Global accessibility, access from anywhere using any device eliminating the pressure on on-premise infrastructure.
• Ready to use: SaaS services may be easily set up and made operational. To have access to quick and powerful computer resources, you need to simply sign up for the service.

Benefits of IaaS

• Cost-effectiveness: Using an IaaS cloud architecture eliminates the need to deploy on-premise hardware, lowering expenses.
• Scalability: IaaS is the most adaptable cloud computing platform that enables you to scale your computer resources up or down in response to demand.
• Easy deployment: IaaS allows you to install servers, processing, storage, and networking to get up and running in no time.

Benefits of PaaS

• Cost-effectiveness: PaaS is cost-effective as it allows access to most state-of-the-art resources without paying much for them.
• Reduced development time: As the computing resources involved are provided by the cloud service providers, it reduces the development time.
• Multiple language support: PaaS supports multiple programming languages enabling developers to seamlessly build applications for different projects.
• Improved collaboration: PaaS can assist in connecting your team distributed in various locations and integrating their tasks on a single platform. Thus, PaaS gives you enhanced team collaboration.

 

Choosing the Right Cloud Service Model

Three dominant aspects of the current corporate industry driving the industries towards the cloud are – remote collaboration, scalability, and adaptation. As remote work culture continues to grow, we can notice the constant need for streamlined collaboration along with facilities for safe data storage.

One technology that has come up with the perfect combination of efficiency and affordability for companies working remotely is cloud computing. It has been home to various software operations for numerous businesses with varied requirements.

Moreover, it required very low capital investments for a company to avail an infrastructure that can easily support a large-scale business. This has benefitted the startup culture hugely. For startups, cost-effectiveness with the capacity for the highest value returns has made cloud computing a mandatory business prerequisite.

Further, the growing market changes have forced companies to adapt to emerging technologies that are capable of providing faster yet reliable solutions. The latest technologies like cloud computing might come with certain complexities but are the perfect equipment to meet the rising consumer demands.

In order to actually get an edge and remain competitive in the market, you must select the correct cloud service model. The right cloud service model is the one that suffices your business objectives, sets down the infrastructure, adapts to the company processes, and provides flexibility to scale up or down at any point in time.

 

Conclusion

Considering the fast-evolving market and the advancements in technology, we can easily say that cloud computing and cloud-based services are not going anywhere any soon. You may find several cloud service providers in the market. However, only the ideal one can suggest the perfect cloud service model for your business.

Dignitas Digital is one such cloud service provider based out of Philadelphia that has won several awards and honors. We provide top-tier AWS cloud services, among other prominent digital services, to rebuild and improve your organization to the next level of success.

As a leading digital agency in Philly, we help businesses grow and sustain with our high-end AWS cost optimization services and help them lower their business costs and enhance their profit margins. Whatever may be the type of cloud model you go for, cloud computing is the present and future of businesses, that is for sure.

Get in touch with us for a free consultation at hello@dignitas.digital