As one of the biggest trends in cloud computing today, infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is not something to be ignored. After all, infrastructure as a service provides many benefits, including enhanced performance, scalability and security, and that can help give you an outsized benefit for your investment.
According to the International Data Corporation, about half of the total spend on IT infrastructure is cloud-based, meaning that instead of being the new kid on the block, IaaS should be considered as an essential part of your cloud-computing stack along with software as a service (SaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS). And because IaaS provides virtual services that businesses need, you won’t have to worry about bandwidth, storage or the types of concerns that may dominate the day.
What Is IaaS?
As opposed to software as a service (an online application that takes the burden off of the devices that use it) or platform as a service (a scalable platform for the development of applications and services), infrastructure as a service is an automated and scalable system that runs a company’s infrastructure — things like data storage, networking and servers.
On the client side, all that you need to create a company network is to show up with software applications and data, utilizing the infrastructure layer as a service instead of building it all out in house.
Here are some more infrastructure as a service benefits:
- Increased Performance
While it may feel comforting to have your network and data on local servers, it’s actually a lot less effective unless you’re constantly upgrading and improving your capabilities along the way. Unfortunately, what often happens is a huge outlay for the latest and greatest, and then nothing over the years as your capabilities crumble under the weight of demand you couldn’t have ever foreseen.
With infrastructure as a service, a main benefit is that you get to outsource your infrastructure so that you can allocate more resources towards growing your business, not just managing all that data. Your IaaS provider will have far more reliable and redundant resources than you could ever muster on your own without re-envisioning your company’s purpose, allowing you to save on your IT costs even while you get more performance for your reduced spend.
- Enhanced Security
Most businesses don’t have the resources or the time to harden their networks against the sheer volume of rogue actors and attack vectors out there. Particularly for businesses that are not in the IT security sphere, typical security concerns can be a real challenge when you consider that millions of businesses suffer from data breaches each year — and the complexity and risks are only getting worse.
Because infrastructure as a service increases your security layer, one of the main benefits is the peace of mind that IaaS gives you. When you’re not worried about that next breach or if a device is misplaced, you can focus on the real issue at hand, such as growing your business. End-to-end encryption covers devices and your IaaS provider will have significant investments in their security capabilities, which will far exceed the practicalities of doing the same in house.
- More Flexibility and Scalability
Another benefit of infrastructure as a service is the increased flexibility and scalability you gain with a hosted, cloud-based solution. If you want to on-board a whole new team for the holiday season or to help push that new initiative, you can. If you want to dial it back during the slower months, you can do that, too. Because your infrastructure is now a service, you can dial up the right amount of performance to meet your exact need through automatic provisioning and the increased scalability of IaaS.
If you have remote workers or you want to open up a new office across town, infrastructure as a service is ideal to help you support your employees, contractors and other resources with more power when you need it and less when you don’t. By allowing anyone to connect virtually, you’ll spend less time organizing your resources and more time leveraging them, and that can really benefit your bottom line.
- Your Network Is Always Online
With infrastructure as a service, you’re always prepared for a disaster. IaaS providers are well-versed in security and performance, and their knowledge is your gain when it comes to your day-to-day service. Instead of dedicating mindshare to the next thing that could take your network out, you and your team will be able to focus on the bigger picture and effect change that can have a real impact. Let your provider worry about redundancies, cooling and network connectivity — you can work on what you do best!
If you’ve ever experienced a power outage, you know how downtime can affect productivity. But with IaaS, a power outage at the office doesn’t have to affect your workers from home or across town, and you’ll always be able to send anyone home to get some work done in a pinch.
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To learn more about customized technical solutions that can revolutionize your business, contact the IaaS experts at Prov.net.