It seems that every vendor is jumping on the “something-as-a-service” tag line. Here’s a quick reference to the different types of Cloud Computing service categories.

Application-as-a-service (AaaS)

This is typically a specific and often specialised business system that is delivered over the Internet to a user, typically accessing the application through a browser. While many people associate Application-as-a-service with ‘vertical’ enterprise applications such as Salesforce, office automation applications are also Applications-as-a-service, such as Google Docs, Gmail, Google Calendar and Microsoft’s Cloud-based Office365 or Dynamics CRM.

Also read this article.

Data as a service

It could be argued that this service has been with us for some time now – for example Interactive Data’s pricing services.  Data/Information-as-a-service provides data on-demand using well defined interfaces such as an API.

Data-as-a-service is typically provided to a company by an external service provider. However, large corporations can benefit from scales of economy by aggregating data and disseminating it within it’s ‘child’ companies.

There are two types of Data-as-a-Service; private data and public data.

• Private data is typically paid-for access to valuable data that isn’t readily available in the public domain. Examples include live stock price information, address and post code/zip code validation, and credit reporting. This type of service is not new and has been provided for years by companies such as Interactive Data.
• Public data is a newer service and is typically formatted data in the public domain. For example, the Google Public Data Explorer allows you to incorporate demographic data with your company’s sales figures to perform powerful statistical analysis.

Data Centre-as-a-service

Refer to Infrastructure-as-a-service.

Database-as-a-service

This provides the ability to use the services of a remotely hosted database, sharing it with other users, and having it logically function as if the database were local. Different providers have different models, but the advantage of this service is to be able to use database technology that would typically be a significant cost in hardware and software licenses if hosted in-house.

Desktop-as-a-service (DaaS)

Also referred to as ‘virtualized desktops’. A large cost for firms is the purchase, deployment and subsequent management of desktop PC devices – especially in remote offices. Desktop-as-a-service can help alleviate these costs and headaches, by offering a virtualized desktop that runs ‘in the Cloud’.

There are operational considerations, such as the fact that the users need physical devices to access the Cloud-delivered desktop. However, these can be low-cost, low-maintenance locked-down thin clients.

Also read this article.

Governance-as-a-service

Refer to Management-as-a-service.

Hardware-as-a-Service

This term seems to have faded out of use now. It referred to the ability for companies to avoid purchasing hardware when they could ‘rent’ services from cloud platforms such as Amazon’s EC2.

Identity-Management-as-a-service (IMaaS)

This is an area that has the potential to grow significantly. It covers the identification of users and ensuring they receive only the access levels that they should have. That sounds easy, but how do you know that a remote user is really who they say they are?

This service  provides access control and audit capability for multiple SaaS, Public Clouds and Private Clouds, whilst at the same time giving users the benefit of single-sign-on (SSO).

An example of a service in this area is Symplified.

Information-as-a-service

Refer to Data-as-a-service.

Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS)

This is also referred to as Data Centre-as-a-service, this is the ability to remotely access computing resources. In essence, you lease a physical server that’s yours to do with as you will, and for all practical purposes it is your data centre, or at least part of a data centre. The difference with this approach versus more mainstream cloud computing is that instead of using an interface and a metered service, you’re getting access to the entire machine and the software on that machine.

In short, it’s less a packaged solution and more akin to ‘traditional’  hosting.

Also read this article.

Management-as-a-service and Governance-as-a-service

This is an on-demand service from a Cloud service provider that allows the management of one or more Cloud services.  Typically, these are simple things such as systems topology, resource utilisation, virtualization management and up-time management.

management/governance systems are now becoming available, such as the ability to enforce defined policies on data and services and report on SLA and service metric compliance.

Platform-as-a-service (PaaS)

This is a complete platform that is delivered through a remotely hosted (Cloud) platform to subscribers. It can include application development, interface development, database development, storage and testing.  It is based on the traditional timesharing model and modern Cloud Platform-as-service providers provide the ability to create enterprise-class applications for use locally or on-demand for a subscription price or free that is typically less than hosting it in-house yourself. An example of this is Microsoft’s Azure platform.

Also read this article.

Process-as-a-service

This refers to a remote resource that can aggregate many resources together, such as services and data, whether hosted within the same cloud computing resource or from separate providers, to create business processes.

You can think of a business process as a Meta application that spans different systems, leveraging key services and information that are combined into the correct business sequence to form a process. These processes are usually easier to change than applications, and thus provide agility to those who use these process engines that are delivered on-demand.

Security-as-a-service

As the incidence of viruses, malware, attacks and email phishing increases day-by-day, the job for the IT team to protect a firm gets more and more complex. Security-as-a-service is starting to become an attractive proposition, as it’s a method of outsourcing a headache for management by experts.

For this to work, all Internet connectivity for the firm needs to be routed through the service provider. Failure to do this could result in an unmanaged ‘unlocked back door’ into your firm.

Examples of Security-as-a-Service providers are McAfee, Zscaler and Symantec’s MessageLabs who have been providing this service for some years.  Click here for a high-level review of service offerings.

Software-as-a-service (SaaS)

Refer to Application-as-a-service.

Also read this article.

Storage-as-a-service

Also known as ‘storage on demand’ or ‘disk space on demand’.

This is the ability to use storage that physically exists at the remote Cloud service provider but logically appears as local storage resource to any application that requires storage. Apple’s MobileMe iDisk service is an example of Storage-as-a-service..

Testing-as-a-service

This is a service that allows the testing of local or Cloud-delivered systems using testing software and services that are remotely hosted by the Cloud services provider. Note that while a Cloud service requires testing itself, Testing-as-a-service services can test other Cloud applications, Web sites and even internal enterprise systems.  They do not require a capital investment  in hardware or software within the enterprise, for something that may only be used for a limited period of time.

PaaS is an acronym for Platform as a Service.

PaaS is an outsourced service offering in which a service provider hosts all the infrastructure services that you are likely to need, such as database management, application serving, development environment, workflow and security. Using these services, you can either develop your own business system or deploy a ready-built one.

Typically, the infrastructure will be delivered using virtual infrastructure which allows the service provider to better utilise hardware and hence offer the service at a lower cost than the traditional ‘host your own servers’ method.

PaaS services are usually accessed by the Internet or in some cases, by a private network.

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What is the relationship between Cloud Computing and PaaS ?

Cloud Computing is a generic term that describes shared computing resources that can be dynamically scaled according to business requirements, faster than traditional computing environments.

PaaS is one delivery model of Cloud Computing. Refer to these articles for information about other delivery models: IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), DaaS (Desktop as a Service) and SaaS (Software as a Service).

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What are the benefits of using PaaS ?

• The up-front cost of introducing infrastructure is reduced, as the usual capital investment in hardware and software is replaced by a monthly ‘usage’ charge. The economic benefit of this should be verified to account for the number of users, data volumes.
• The cost of using the system (should be) less than the cost of hosting it yourself, when taking into account all the infrastructure costs such as hardware, backups, contingency provision and ongoing upgrades and maintenance.
• Your company’s need for IT skills will reduce if your PaaS supplier provides a fully managed solution. The skill-set required will be less about technology and more focused on configuration of the PaaS service to fit the business needs and vendor management.

Service delivery options

SaaS is offered through a number of different delivery options, such as Public cloud service, Private cloud, Hybrid cloud and managed cloud.

Refer to this article about Cloud Computing for further information.

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What should I be aware of before using PaaS ?

• Perform due-diligence on the supplier to ensure they are financially stable and have security and operational policies and procedures in place that are at least as comprehensive as those of your company.
• Ensure you know where your data is. Many companies have a legal and regulatory obligation to know exactly where their data is.
• Ensure you know who has access to your data at the service provider. You don’t want a disgruntled employee of the service provider taking a copy of your client database.
• Ensure the data is encrypted on the service provider’s servers and on their backups.
• Ensure the backed-up data is available for you to recover from as a result of an issue caused by your company. For example, many Cloud service providers perform regular backups, but will only restore if they suffer a problem. This won’t help you if you accidentally delete some of your data.
• Ensure you understand the legal and regulatory requirements that you must comply with. For example the retention of month-end backups.
• Understand how upgrades to the software are applied and whether you have the opportunity to test your business systems on the new version before it is implemented for live use.
• Understand how the system and its security will be integrated into your company’s existing infrastructure.
• Delivery of the service is totally dependent on the performance and stability of the network. Make sure that both the company premises and the hosting provider have sufficient capacity and diverse routing to cope in the event of a failure.

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What is the financial impact of using PAAS ?

Financially, the significant difference of Cloud Computing is that it is typically charged on a pay-as-you-use basis. The cost of is therefore an operating expense instead of a capital investment. This may suit many companies, as they can very quickly get access to a business system for no capital outlay and the cost is charged monthly.. However, tight control needs to be kept on the use of the services, as it is easy to expand and hence increase ongoing charges.

Charges are typically based on the number of virtualised servers, the amount of network traffic and the data storage space used.

Watch-out for the network traffic charge. Often this is capped at an amount per month. If your Cloud Computing has public access, the network usage could be out of your control and you could end-up paying an excess network usage cost.

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Examples of PAAS

Examples of PaaS are Google’s App Engine and Amazon’s Web Services Elastic Compute Cloud.

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Do I still need an IT capability in-house ?

It depends on whether all of your company’s infrastructure will run on the Cloud platform. If the answer to that is no, then you will still need an IT capability.

If your PaaS supplier provides a fully managed solution. The skill-set required will be less about technology and more focused on configuration of the PaaS service to fit the business needs and vendor management.

Also read ….

• Cloud Computing – what is everyone so excited ?
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
• Software as a Service (SaaS)
• Desktop as a Service (DaaS)

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“Shared computing resources that can be dynamically scaled according to business requirements, faster than traditional computing environments.”

It’s easy to come-up with a one line description, but what does it mean and why is there so much hype about cloud computing?  The term ‘cloud computing’ has been in use for some years now, but is now getting increased publicity as it enters the mainstream. There are many hyped-up technologies that promise to change the world, however, Cloud Computing is an exciting way to deliver solutions with reduced cost and increased agility. Generally, when people refer to ‘Cloud Computing’, they are referring to rented computing services  from a service provider, accessed across the internet. Using this service means the client needs less IT infrastructure on their own premises and reduced costs because the underlying infrastructure is shared between many clients.

Generally, when people refer to ‘Cloud Computing’, they are referring to rented computing services  from a service provider, accessed across the internet. Using this service means the client needs less IT infrastructure on their own premises and reduced costs because the underlying infrastructure is shared between many clients.

Cloud computing comprises of the following features:

• Provision of computer processing and  data storage capability.
• Shared resources that are dynamically scalable and typically, virtualised.
• Service is provided over a network, which can be the Internet of a private network.
• Service is usually charged as an operating expense instead of a capital investment.

What are the benefits of using Cloud Computing ?

• The up-front cost of introducing infrastructure is reduced, as the usual capital investment in hardware is replaced by a monthly ‘usage’ charge. The economic benefit of this should be verified to account for the services used and data volumes.
• The cost of using the system (should be) less than the cost of hosting it yourself, when taking into account all the infrastructure costs such as hardware, software, backups, contingency provision and ongoing upgrades and maintenance.
• Can prevent valuable real-estate being occupied by IT infrastructure equipment that requires additional security, cooling and UPS power and (sometimes) generator power.

What should I be aware of before using Cloud Computing ?

• Depending on the Cloud service used, the service may be less flexible than your company is used to. You must ensure that the service offering will work for your company.
• Deploying a non-standard application may not be possible or may incur charges from the supplier.
• Perform due-diligence on the supplier to ensure they are financially stable and have security and operational policies and procedures in place that are at least as comprehensive as those of your company.
• Ensure you know where your data is. Many companies have a legal and regulatory obligation to know exactly where their data is.
• Ensure you know who has access to your data at the service provider. You don’t want a disgruntled employee of the service provider taking a copy of your client database.
• Ensure the data is encrypted on the service provider’s servers and on their backups.
• Ensure the backed-up data is available for you to recover from as a result of an issue caused by your company. For example, many Cloud service providers perform regular backups, but will only restore if they suffer a problem. This won’t help you if you accidentally delete some of your data.
• Ensure you understand the legal and regulatory requirements that you and your cloud service provider must comply with. For example the retention of month-end backups.
• Ensure the infrastructure is configurable to meet your needs ‘out of the box’. For example, make sure you have the ability to restart servers and install software as you need to.
• Understand how upgrades to the operating system software are applied and whether you have the opportunity to test your business systems on the new version before it is implemented for live use.
• Delivery of the service is totally dependent on the performance and stability of the network. Make sure that both the company premises and the hosting provider have sufficient capacity and diverse routing to cope in the event of a failure.

What is the financial impact of using Cloud Computing ?

Financially, the significant difference of Cloud Computing to the traditional model of owning your own servers, is that it is typically charged on a pay-as-you-use operating expense instead of a capital investment. This may suit many companies, as they can very quickly get access to significant computing power and capacity for no capital outlay.

Tight control needs to be kept on the use of the services, as it is easy to expand and hence increase ongoing charges.

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Cloud Computing service delivery models

Desktop as a Service (DaaS)

DaaS is an outsourced service offering in which a service provider hosts the infrastructure and storage to deliver manage your company’s desktop devices. For many people, DaaS is more difficult to understand than IaaS, PaaS or SaaS. This is probably because IaaS, PaaS or SaaS are all server focused and it is easy to envisage a remote third-party hosted servers service, however it is not so easy to envisage how the ‘PC on my desk’ can be virtualised and run remotely.

DaaS uses desktop virtualisation or VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) to deliver a standard desktop to the users in your company. The desktop (or laptop) device used to access the service can be a ‘thin client’ which means there is very little infrastructure required at the company premises.

Click here to read more about DaaS.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

IaaS is an outsourced service offering in which a service provider hosts the base infrastructure and storage. Using these base infrastructure services, you can install the servers and services you need to run for your business although many providers will also provide this as a service.

Typically, the infrastructure will be delivered using virtual infrastructure which allows the service provider to better utilise hardware and hence offer the service at a lower cost than the traditional ‘host your own servers’ method.

Click here to read more about IaaS.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS is an outsourced service offering in which a service provider hosts all the infrastructure services that you are likely to need, such as database management, application serving, development environment, workflow and security. Using these services, you can either develop your own business system or deploy a ready-built one.

Typically, the infrastructure will be delivered using virtual infrastructure which allows the service provider to better utilise hardware and hence offer the service at a lower cost than the traditional ‘host your own servers’ method.

Click here to read more about PaaS.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

SaaS is an outsourced service offering in which a service provider hosts one or more software applications that can licensed to and used by many different clients with their data securely partitioned.

Traditionally if you need to use software, it is installed on your desktop PC and/or on your company’s servers. With SaaS, the software is installed and run on the service provider’s infrastructure.  This not only avoids the need for the infrastructure to run and support the system, it also takes on responsibility for upgrades, backups and data storage.

SaaS service providers can provide just one application through to complete application suites.

Click here to read more about SaaS.

Cloud Computing types

Public cloud

This is what most people understand to be Cloud Computing. This is computing resources charged on a pay-as-you-use basis.

Financially, this is usually the most cost effective option because the infrastructure is already established and is publicly shared. Therefore there is no capital investment needed by your company to get started.

There are drawbacks however. It is important to make sure that the service meets your needs, because it will be less flexible. Companies may be uncomfortable placing their most sensitive data in a public cloud, even though it will be logically secured.

Private cloud

A private cloud is technically very similar to a public cloud, except the technical infrastructure is dedicated to your company.

Financially, this can still be cost effective, although less-so than a public cloud because the economies of scale can’t be achieved. A company can still enjoy the benefits of financial and agility benefits from virtualisation.

Companies are more likely to be comfortable with this option for their most sensitive data.

A private cloud doesn’t have to be operated by an outsourced provider – it can be based on in-house infrastructure.

Hybrid cloud

This is a combination of a private and public cloud. It allows a company to obtain the benefits of cloud computing, whilst protecting their most sensitive data.

This is a common scenario for companies who are unwilling to place all their data in a public cloud.

Managed cloud

This is similar to the private cloud, except the cloud is managed by a third party hosting provider.

Also read ….

• Software as a Service (SaaS)
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
• Platform as a Service (PaaS)
• Desktop as a Service (DaaS)
• Clouds and data jurisdiction

…. and finally …. 

You may already be using a cloud computing service without realising it. Services such as Hotmail, Gmail, Google Docs, Flickr and even the website you are reading now are all forms of cloud services.