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As a business owner you may already be aware of the disadvantages of building on-premises servers. Physical servers require constant updates every 3 to 5 years. To keep them running trouble free, you will need to hire skilled IT professionals, which can come with substantial costs.
There is then the problem of scalability, you will constantly need to invest in new hardware and software to allow for business growth.
Additionally, in cases of data breaches, thefts, or natural disasters like floods or fire, physical infrastructures may be harmed. As a result, companies may lose sensitive data, which may hinder the workflow and workplace productivity.
Due to this there has been a significant increase in the number of businesses investing in the cloud. The cloud has become mainstream but what kind of the cloud should you choose?
The SaaS model tends to be the preferred choice for both small businesses and larger companies. SaaS is delivered over the internet and is managed from a central location and hosted on a remote server. This ensures that all team members can access their data from any location. This can work well if you are a business with remote members of staff.
Your business performance can be boosted by the uses of SaaS. For example, if you need certain tools when working on short-term projects or when using apps that are needed infrequently this could work for you.
The big selling point of SaaS is that companies investing in it do not need to worry about software and hardware maintenance. This is all managed by the SaaS supplier.
However, one of the biggest disadvantages of investing in SaaS an increased security risks. You will not have control of the infrastructure that your SaaS platform runs on. Your business is therefore at potential threat from cyber breaches, natural disasters, or network problems. All of these can impact on your business performance. Potentially, another issue could be the lack of customisation, as you are required to use predefined integration and features of the platform.
Below are some popular examples of SaaS:
IaaS allows you create your own, bespoke environment online. With IaaS you can move major IT features to the cloud vendor, including networking, servers, storage, and virtualisation. This allows for uninterrupted workflow online.
It can be great for businesses wanting to launch their software more quickly by infilling the space between their development and operations team.
You will retain complete control of your applications, data, and infrastructure. Yet, you will only pay for the services you are utilising. Furthermore, you have the flexibility to increase or decrease your cloud infrastructure at no further cost.
One possible negative could be that you will need to manage and upgrade software, including operating systems, data, runtime, applications, and middleware. This could mean recruiting an experienced IT person, and ensuring they have the necessary tools they need to get the best out of this process.
Below are some popular examples of IaaS:
PaaS, or Platform as a Service, is mainly used by developers and companies building their own software, as there is no need to worry about infrastructure management.
Essentially, developers do not need to start from scratch when developing software. They can save on hardware, software and money when writing on the code that already exists. PaaS is ideal for any business wanting to develop their own app.
It allows developers to focus on the creative elements of the app development, such as testing or deployment. You will be managing only applications and data, and it is highly scalable and affordable.
A negative to PaaS is that there can be performance issues to consider. If the platform breaks, you will not be able to access your software. Potential security issues as with other cloud services that could also offer concerns
Below are some popular examples of PaaS:
There are pluses and minuses to each of the above cloud options. However, one thing for sure is your business will benefit in many ways:
Date: June 14, 2021
Author: Morris