We talk a lot about cloud based software, platforms, and the cloud itself. As we enter the New Year, we wanted to provide an overview of The Cloud and it’s services. Cloud computing refers to running workloads over the internet remotely in a third party’s data center. This is also referred to as the Public Cloud. AWS (Amazon Web Services), Salesforce’s CRM system, and Google Cloud Platform are all examples of public clouds and cloud computing.

Cloud computing also refers to the virtualization and central management of data center resources as software-defined pools. This technical definition of cloud computing describes how public cloud service providers run their operations. In simpler terms this means that public cloud providers can quickly spin up and take down applications on the cloud. Allowing for limitless opportunities for testing, storage, and virtualization.

What does this mean for you, the consumer? The public cloud offers a way to gain new IT capabilities on demand without investing in new hardware or software. You pay the cloud provider a subscription fee and pay for only what you use. It also allows you to quickly and efficiently test new software, spin up new servers, and grow or shrink storage on demand.

Types of cloud services

There are many types of cloud services but most services fall into three categories:

SaaS (software as a service)

SaaS is software on demand. You can access software through a web browser or internet connection. Meaning you can access your software from just about anywhere. Google’s G Suite and Microsoft’s Office 365 are the most popular SaaS services available. Salesforce leads the pack for enterprise solutions but almost every enterprise software offers a SaaS model. SaaS applications offer extensive configuration options as well as development environments that enable customers to code their own modifications and additions.

IaaS (infrastructure as a service)

IaaS public cloud providers offer storage and compute services on a pay-per-use basis. But this just the simplest application of IaaS. IaaS can include highly scalable databases, virtual private networks, big data analytics, developer tools, machine learning, application monitoring, and much more. Amazon Web Services was the first IaaS provider and remains the leader, followed by Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and IBM Cloud. Datasmith Network Solutions offers AWS services to its clients.

PaaS (platform as a service)

PaaS provides sets of services and workflows that specifically target developers, who can use shared tools, processes, and APIs to accelerate the development, test, and deployment of applications. PaaS can ensures developers have ready access to resources, follow certain processes, and use only a specific array of services, while operators maintain the underlying infrastructure.

 

The cloud offers limitless opportunities for business. But most importantly it ensures that any business, regardless of it’s size, can use the same services. How? Through scalability. With the cloud you do not have to worry about buying an entire server or employing a team of developers. You can get access to exactly what you need, when you need it. Allowing any business to utilize any tech service at any time. If you are not using the cloud, contact Datasmith to get set up with cloud services for 2018.

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