What is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)?

What is Infrastructure as a Service? 

Infrastructure as a Service, or IaaS, is one of the many types of cloud service types that also includes Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Desktop as a Service (DaaS), serverless environments, and bare metal server solutions. It’s a method of delivering essential computing, storage, and networking resources to businesses while removing the upfront costs associated with on-premise data centers and IT infrastructure. IaaS allows a third party to manage physical and virtual resources, such as servers, physical locations, and security, while your organization handles operating systems, middleware, object storage, and application software. This type of IT resource allocation allows organizations to reduce costs while being able to scale quickly, provision new applications to boost performance, and remain flexible in the face of an uncertain future. In this article, we talk about the benefits of Infrastructure as a Service, how IaaS works, and how you can ensure you select the best provider. Not sure IaaS can handle enterprise-level software? Try Summit Hosting for free to see how we’re more than able to handle the most resource-dependent apps, including ERP software, Quickbooks enterprise, and virtual desktop infrastructure. 

The Benefits of Infrastructure as a Service

Change can be challenging for business leaders, especially when things are working. However, the modern business landscape demands greater flexibility in how businesses deploy their tech stacks. Here are a handful of benefits you can see as you transition from a traditional data center to an IaaS model. 

• Reduces expenses – IaaS removes the need for upfront investment in costly on-premise data center equipment. It also provides a cost-effective pay-as-you-go pricing structure, which means you pay for the IT infrastructure you currently use, not what you may eventually use. 
• Scalability – Thanks to the pay-as-you-go structure, you can unlock more resources on demand as your business grows. This feature is handy for expanding during peak seasons and scaling back during slower ones, resulting in greater flexibility.
•  Accessibility – Establishing IaaS cloud infrastructure creates more significant support for remote workloads. When used in conjunction with Desktop as a Service (DaaS), you can create business continuity regardless of geographic location. Remote support can expand your talent pool, giving you an even stronger competitive edge. 
• Stability – Outages, downtime, and latency can all impact business performance. Where high-performance computing was initially only possible through on-site data centers, IaaS now allows for stable operating conditions, especially when you partner with Summit Hosting. Don’t worry about load balancing or noisy neighbors with our dedicated servers and 99% uptime. Give us a call today to get started! 
• Back-ups & disaster recovery – No business is immune to disaster, and when an incident occurs, recovery should be rapid and up-to-date. That’s why every quality service level agreement (SLA) will include robust disaster recovery and backup details. Summit Hosting provides nightly back-ups with dedicated copies and support for disaster recovery giving you peace of mind. 
• Security – On-premise IT infrastructure requires physical and cyber security protocols to keep systems safe. Investing in an IaaS solution through a cloud service provider, like Summit Hosting, you offload that demand, saving you time, money, and human resources while ensuring your infrastructure resources remain secure. 

How Infrastructure as a Service Works

Now that you know what the benefits of Infrastructure as a Service are, it’s time to look into how IaaS works. IaaS removes the need for on-premise infrastructure by providing those resources as a service. A third-party provider houses networking resources, security firewalls, data storage, servers, and other computing equipment for businesses to operate in the cloud. In this arrangement, the IaaS provider manages the physical equipment as well as virtual machines (VMs), VMware, hypervisors, and redundancy systems. At the same time, end users engage in provisioning virtual environments, operating systems, and software apps with defined memory and computing capabilities. Providers can also provide network virtualization capabilities, such as virtual private clouds through the use of APIs, expanding the use case of IaaS.

How to Select the Best IaaS

IaaS solutions are not universal, and no one type of cloud computing service will satisfy the needs of every organization. That’s why it’s vital to find a cloud platform that meets your needs while remaining usable for the team. Here are some tips on how to select the best IaaS computing model. 

Understand Your Business Requirements

The first step in selecting the best IaaS solution is completely understanding your business’s computing resource requirements. If your team requires robust development environments for web application development, you’ll need different resources compared with an enterprise hosting SAP or Quickbooks. A significant advantage of partnering with an IaaS cloud provider is that you don’t have to attempt to calculate future computing requirements. You can unlock more capabilities or cloud storage on-demand whenever you need it! 

Browse IaaS Providers

Various providers offer different capabilities and services. There are private and public cloud options, and the biggest tech companies have IaaS platforms, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, IBM, and Google Cloud. Although signing on with a well-known provider is tempting, you must thoroughly examine service-level agreements to avoid getting stuck with something that doesn’t work for you. Looking for a solution that’s more personalized than the big names? Summit Hosting provides cloud-based and cloud-native IaaS solutions that support the most resource-intensive web apps and software packages. Our 99% uptime, dedicated servers, and extensive security protocols combine with 24/7 human support to provide an experience second to none. Give us a call today to establish your IaaS platform without the headache! 

Transition Your Business

Transitioning your business from an on-premise to a single or multi-cloud environment is an intensive process that demands a sound strategy to prevent disruption of business operations. This strategy should involve training team members on changes and what to expect regarding automation, workflows, and user interfaces. To ease the transition, some organizations opt for a hybrid cloud solution, utilizing the advantages of cloud-based IaaS while maintaining an on-premise platform for sensitive data and mission-critical apps. A hybrid solution allows for a staged process where some portions of the business get moved and tested to ensure stability. 

Unlock the Infrastructure You Need with Summit Hosting

Like SaaS, PaaS, and DaaS, Infrastructure as a Service, or IaaS, is becoming a cloud-based platform that businesses can’t live without. The ability to reduce expenses while still having access to world-class computing equipment means that even modest size organizations can take advantage of stable computing, top-end security, and employee flexibility. Although migrating to an IaaS solution is an excellent idea, there is a bit of homework you must do before signing service-level agreements. That homework includes understanding your business’s requirements, thoroughly investigating providers, and creating a plan to migrate your business to the cloud. Without these steps, you could end up interrupting operations! You don’t have to navigate the complex landscape of business infrastructure alone. Partner with Summit Hosting, which understands that your business needs performance and personalization. Our dedicated servers, infrastructure services, and expert staff put us in the upper echelon of providers. Don’t take our word for it. Try us for free to experience our quality for yourself!