Expand Your Use of the Cloud: Using Cloud Services for ITaaS
May 1, 2012
The cloud has become the Holy Grail of business technologies. Every day dozens of new stories and blog posts pop up, touting the fantastic impact and developmental leaps being made by companies switching over to some form of cloud computing, whether that’s Software, Platform or Infrastructure as a Service. But another use for cloud services has emerged: IT as a Service. In this model, cloud services are used not only to increase a company’s computing capabilities and make their technology more agile, but also to supplement or free up their in-house IT staff. There are several benefits for companies that begin using ITaaS…
Eliminate Up-Front Hardware and Software Costs
Perhaps one of the most striking benefits of switching to cloud computing is the elimination of the need to purchase, build and install server installations in a company’s private data center. Now, instead of going through this expensive process, a company can simply request new or additional resources from their cloud provider and receive them for an increase in their monthly fee. Because of the nature of cloud hosting providers, the host will requisition and install new hardware without clients even being aware of what’s going on. Though it’s possible that a company could spend less money building its own servers in-house, they would lose time that their IT staff might otherwise be spending performing other duties and they would have to continue upgrading and replacing older hardware, making the cost of purchasing versus that of renting a closer contest than it may seem at first.
Reduce IT Staffing Concerns
When a company has to run its own servers, it has to hire, train and maintain the IT staff to keep things going smoothly. When using cloud services for the bulk of the company’s needs, however, the IT staff can be kept small and confused on their tasks rather than attempting to find the source of the latest server error and replace whatever faulty part is causing it. Further, the reduced need for IT support staff can be used to provide additional positions for programmers or other members of IT who can provide more value to the company and its employees.
Streamline Rollout of New Services
With a traditional in-house server model, a department would request new features and the IT department would then go about allocating funds and planning the best, most efficient way to roll out the new features. They would then have to either purchase new hardware to run the required software or find a server with enough headroom to run the processes they required. With ITaaS, however, IT merely has to requisition the additional functionality needed and deploy the software, without worrying about hardware or how it will impact network and server performance.
Increased Focus on Developing New Products In-House
With IT no longer needing to focus on maintaining and deploying servers, they’re free to see to other aspects of support and development that would previously either have been put on the back burner or required hiring a larger staff. After switching to the cloud, the IT department can focus on developing new products and solutions to the business’s problems. The department can ensure that the rest of the company sees little-to-no difference between in-house services and cloud services while increasing function and performance company-wide.
Companies no longer have to invest in large, discrete IT departments to receive the support and features they need. Instead, they can now use various cloud services and models to gain all of the benefits for a monthly fee. This leap in technology has allowed both small start-ups and large companies alike to run leaner and more efficient IT departments, a trend that’s likely to continue in the coming years.