Choosing a cloud provider ================= Each provider serves a specific function, giving users more or less control over their cloud depending on the type. When you choose a provider, compare your needs to the cloud services available. Your cloud needs will vary depending on how you intend to use the space and resources associated with the cloud. If it will be for personal home use, you will need a different cloud type and provider than if you will be using the cloud for business. Keep in mind that your cloud provider will be pay-as-you-go, meaning that if your technological needs change at any point you can purchase more storage space (or less for that matter) from your cloud provider. There are three types of cloud providers that you can subscribe to: Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). These three types differ in the amount of control that you have over your information, and conversely, how much you can expect your provider to do for you. Briefly, here is what you can expect from each type. 1. Software as a Service - A SaaS provider gives subscribers access to both resources and applications. SaaS makes it unnecessary for you to have a physical copy of software to install on your devices. SaaS also makes it easier to have the same software on all of your devices at once by accessing it on the cloud. In a SaaS agreement, you have the least control over the cloud. 2. Platform as a Service - A PaaS system goes a level above the Software as a Service setup. A PaaS provider gives subscribers access to the components that they require to develop and operate applications over the internet. 3. Infrastructure as a Service - An IaaS agreement, as the name states, deals primarily with computational infrastructure. In an IaaS agreement, the subscriber completely outsources the storage and resources, such as hardware and software, that they need. As you go down the list from number one to number three, the subscriber gains more control over what they can do within the space of the cloud. The cloud provider has less control in an IaaS system than with an SaaS agreement. What does this mean for the home user or business looking to start using the cloud? It means you can choose your level of control over your information and types of services that you want from a cloud provider. For example, imagine you are starting up your own small business. You cannot afford to purchase and store all of the hardware and software necessary to stay on the cutting edge of your market. By subscribing to an Infrastructure as a Service cloud, you would be able to maintain your new business with just as much computational capability as a larger, more established company, while only paying for the storage space and bandwidth that you use. However, this system may mean you have to spend more of your resources on the development and operation of applications. As you can see, you should evaluate your current computational resources, the level of control you want to have, your financial situation, and where you foresee your business going before signing up with a cloud provider. If you are a home user, however, you will most likely be looking at free or low-cost cloud services (such as web-based email) and will not be as concerned with many of the more complex cloud offerings. After you have fully taken stock of where you are and where you want to be, research into each cloud provider will give you a better idea of whether they are right for you. to be contd . . .
Posted on: Thu, 15 Aug 2013 06:23:18 +0000
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