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Cloud Services is a buzz-word, we are all tired of hearing. But the truth is cloud services offer huge advantage s to small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs).
It’s important to recognize how the various cloud services act as a catalyst for digital transformation by giving SMBs access to advanced computing resources. Without these services businesses would have to make massive investments in infrastructure, personnel and training to get similar capabilities.
Here we examine three types of Cloud services.
- Software-as-a-Service, (SaaS) offers a vast array of applications via the internet, revolutionizes how businesses access essential software, significantly reduces the complexity and cost of maintaining and upgrading software.
- Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), on the other hand, is a boon for developers, providing a robust environment for developing, testing, and deploying applications swiftly, thus accelerating the development cycle and fostering innovation.
- Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) offers a foundational digital infrastructure, presenting scalable and flexible computing resources that can be tailored to a business’s fluctuating demands.
Understanding and embracing these cloud models helps businesses to be more efficient and empowers them to compete with advanced capabilites.
RPM Computing specializes in helping SMBs navigate the cloud landscape, offering expertise in various cloud models and helping define some of the jargon and marketing fluff.
Software-as-a-Service
SaaS delivers applications over the internet, allowing for convenient access with minimal setup. Usually these software services are available almost instantly. A key benefit is that you can add or remove users as needed, which is much more convenient than the older model of buying a specific number licenses at a specific version. You could always buy more but not less.
Common examples of Software as a Service include:
- Google Workspace: A suite of productivity tools for email, documents, and collaboration.
- Salesforce: A customer relationship management platform that centralizes customer interactions.
- Dropbox: A cloud-based file storage service facilitating file sharing and collaboration.
A great benefit of SaaS solutions is that they are updated automatically, ensuring you always have access to the latest features and security patches without the hassle of manual upgrades.
Platform-as-a-Service
Often a company has their own specific software business tools that require expensive infrastructure such as servers, CPUs, storage and memory. These items take up space, power and must be kept cool. They also have to be replaced every 3-5 years.
PaaS provides developers with the tools necessary for application development and deployment. Popular PaaS offerings include:
- Microsoft Azure: Offers a wide range of services including virtual servers, web app hosting and data analytics.
- Red Hat OpenShift: A containerization service that supports Docker containers and Kubernetes orchestration for easier app deployment.
- Heroku: A platform that enables developers to build, run, and operate applications entirely in the cloud.
PaaS services greatly simplify the development process, allowing your developers to focus on creating innovative software solutions, expanding their tools and abilities with prebuilt functions and environments.
Infrastructure-as-a-Service
IaaS provides scalable and flexible virtual computing resources over the internet. Rather than having all the infrastructure in-house, companies rent environments to host their applications on Some of the top IaaS providers are:
- Amazon Web Services (AWS): Offers a broad set of global cloud-based products including storage, databases, and analytics.
- Google Cloud: Provides a range of services from basic virtual machines to advanced machine learning and data analytics.
- DigitalOcean: Known for its simplicity and appealing to smaller businesses and individual developers.
IaaS platforms give businesses the power to manage their computing resources as effectively as possible and helps to reduce capital investments in infrastructure.
Whether you’re looking to leverage cloud-based apps, develop new software, or manage virtual computing infrastructure, RPM Computing has the expertise to guide your cloud journey. Our professionals are ready to help you select and implement the right mix of cloud services to drive your business forward.
Ready to elevate your IT resources with cloud services? Schedule a call with RPM Computing today and unlock the full potential of the cloud for your business.
