The State of Cloud Computing: Structures, Services, and Support to Maximize the ROI of Your Business Network

If you’re one of the lucky ones, your IT budget will remain at its current level. If not, your IT department will be asked to do more with less — which can be a rather daunting task, especially if your business relies heavily on data to drive profits.

In our State of Cloud Computing overview, we’ll review the various types of cloud computing models — including advantages and disadvantages, the industry trends that are driving new technologies, and how we can help you maximize the ROI of your business network.

Cloud computing models and services: A basic overview of solutions

Cloud computing is a rather general term for the delivery of hosted services over the internet. Rather than having to build and maintain a computing infrastructure in-house — which is often cumbersome and prohibitively expensive — cloud computing enables companies to consume computer resources — such as virtual machines, data storage, or software applications — as a utility.

There are several different models, or structures, of cloud computing that vary based on the particular need of the business:

Public cloud. A third-party cloud service provider delivers cloud services over the internet, sold on-demand and billed in units of time (e.g. hours and minutes). Clients pay for the bandwidth, storage, and CPU cycles that they consume.

Private cloud. Services are delivered from a business’ data center to internal users. This model preserves a measure of user management and control, but still offers the versatility and convenience of the cloud. When billed, private cloud services fall under an IT chargeback system.

Hybrid cloud. Combines public cloud services with an on-site private cloud, with varying degrees of cooperation between the two. Companies can designate particular projects or workloads to the private cloud, switching to the public cloud for support in particularly demanding phases of business.

When it comes to services, there are three broad category types that most solutions can be grouped within:

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). A third-party provider hosts servers, storage, and other resources and makes them available to clients over the internet.

Examples of IaaS solutions include Google Compute Engine, AWS, and Microsoft Azure.

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS). A third-party provider hosts application and development platforms and tools on its own infrastructure and makes them available to clients over the internet.

Examples of PaaS solutions include Google App Engine, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, and Heroku.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). A third-party provider hosts software applications and distributes them to clients over the internet. Users can connect to the application using a web browser on a smartphone, tablet, or PC.

Examples of SaaS solutions include NetSuite, Concur, and Salesforce.

Now that you’re familiar with the basic models and services of cloud computing solutions, it helps to understand why the industry has headed in this direction. We’ll discuss the advantages of cloud computing models and services in conserving IT budget and resources while maximizing ROI.

The state of the industry: The present — and future — of cloud computing

Cloud computing emerges as an answer to several key challenges that business IT networks face in an age of developing technologies. From data security to application stability to varying degrees of scale, cloud models are versatile in their functionality and delivery. This bodes well for companies serving clients that rely on continuity of operations.

The primary benefits of cloud computing that companies have come to rely on include:

1. Affordability. The capital expense of in-house operations can become outrageous: buying hardware and software, setting up racks of servers, running on-site datacenters, providing continuous electricity for operations and cooling, dedicated IT experts for managing infrastructure, etc.
2. Pace of operations. Because most cloud services are on-demand and self-serving, business can quicken the pace of their operations through cloud-managed services — which empowers them to be responsive to their clients and better plan for strategic growth.
3. Scalability. Cloud services are all about delivering the right amount of IT operations at the right time — such as bandwidth, storage, power, etc. — which reduces the requirements of planning and building of infrastructure as the business grows.
4. Productivity. As the business grows, a great deal of human and fiscal resources are invested into the process of installing new hardware and software — time and effort that can be reduced and directed to other more important IT tasks with the use of cloud computing.
5. Preparedness. Because cloud computing models and services are automatically and continuously updated with the latest software versions, there’s no need to fall victim to out-of-date applications — which can occur if in-house networks aren’t continually monitored for compliance.
6. Reliability. Because backups of critical data, applications, and programs are kept at a variety of different locations — a practice called redundancy — data recovery in the event of a natural disaster or human error is immediate and comprehensive.

We’ve covered the various models and services of cloud computing. We’ve discussed the state of the industry and the benefits of cloud computing. Finally, we’ll look at RFA Multi-Cloud — the premier solution for cloud systems that can maximize the ROI of your business IT network.

RFA Multi-Cloud: A spotlight on the ROI-driven cloud computing solution

Perhaps you’re looking to make a cloud computing solution part of your business IT network strategy. Or, maybe you already use the cloud, but you need an expert to help you streamline your processes, solidify your network security, and provide custom guidance on the fly.

Introducing RFA Multi-Cloud — on-demand dedicated, hosted Infrastructure-as-a-Solution (IaaS).

RFA Multi-Cloud goes beyond the demands of file hosting and data storage. The RFA Private Cloud Platform allows your firm to move all applications and data from on-site servers to a fully-hosted model. This provides hedge funds the opportunity to efficiently transition infrastructure and management expenses from large CAPEX investments to a more predictable, OPEX-focused model.

You can leverage the power of RFA’s private data center — SAS70/SSAE16 Type II audited to meet stringent industry security and compliance regulations. Your business benefits from:

Scalable environment. RFA Multi-Cloud scales with your business as it grows

On-demand infrastructure. Your services are configured and operational in the shortest time possible

Up-to-date technology. The latest, proven technological advances for optimal performance