What is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)?

Technological innovation is all about change, and it requires a certain mindset. In the IT business, it’s just not possible to do things the way we’ve always done them.

For those who have managed sprawling on-premise infrastructures, cloud computing solutions can take some getting used to.   In this article we address the question, what is infrastructure as a service also known as IaaS.

In short, Infrastructure-as-a-Service is a cloud computing model that offers many businesses benefits that are worth considering.

Let's dive in.

A New Model

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) is not so much a technology as it is a service delivery model. Of course, it includes the latest advances in technologies such as virtualization, automation, and network orchestration. But the main thing about IaaS is the new way that IT infrastructure services are delivered and consumed.

The traditional approach to IT infrastructure was to purchase, house, install, configure, manage, and monitor all your IT equipment yourself, or with the help of a data center.

Servers, routers, switches, firewall, cabling, racks -- these are all the responsibility of the business owner. With the traditional model, the company has full control of all IT components from start to finish. This can be an expensive undertaking.

An IaaS infrastructure takes a different approach.

The cloud service provider bears all the responsibility and expense for the installation and maintenance of the IT equipment, making it possible for users to concentrate on whatever platforms and applications that they may wish to install and manage.

It’s an easier and cheaper way to use IT infrastructure.

Benefits of IaaS 

Perhaps the biggest benefit that IaaS offers is cost savings.

The equipment required to support a company’s IT services can be quite expensive, running into thousands -- even millions -- of dollars. In the old model, businesses would not only have to lay out the capital expenditures for the equipment, there were also the labor costs for the technical experts to make the equipment function.

With IaaS, you can source your IT infrastructure on demand. IT becomes scalable, allowing you to ramp up components quickly and discontinue use when you no longer need them. You wouldn’t be able to do that with purchased, in-house equipment.

Such flexibility lets you bring services to market in record speed. What might have taken days, weeks, or months with traditional IT infrastructure can be done in a fraction of the time. And you only pay for what you need.

This pay-as-you-go model is revolutionizing the way IT infrastructure is done.

Getting Started with IaaS

Cloud computing includes an array of services that include IaaS along with Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS). Cloud providers such as Microsoft Azure make it possible to outsource all or part of an IT infrastructure, allowing a business to focus on its core competency.

Compute, storage, and network can be transferred to the cloud using Azure’s cloud deployment environment.

Accessing Azure in your browser, you can deploy a virtual network, set up virtual machines, install security devices, and then install your apps and services.

Beyond that, you can automate repetitive processes with scripts or templates. And you can duplicate any components in different cloud environments rather than creating them from scratch every time.

It starts with an Azure account and a plan for your IT infrastructure. You’ll need to make an inventory and an assessment of your current IT resources.

If you have developers who need an environment to create and deploy applications, you might look for a PaaS solution.

And third-party software providers do even more of the work on your behalf in an SaaS model. But if you just want to move your IT infrastructure to the cloud, you’ll want to look for an IaaS solution.

Conclusion

With IaaS on the cloud, you will share computing, storage, and networking resources with other users in a scheme called multitenancy.

IaaS is an instant computing infrastructure, with on-demand, pay-as-you-go services that save money and make life easier for IT managers and business owners. It’s a flexible and scalable way to do IT.

IaaS is for businesses who don’t want all the responsibilities of IT infrastructure management, but still want to handle their own platforms and applications. Adoption of technological innovation is one of the keys to success in today’s changing business world, and Infrastructure-as-a-Service is an effective way of taking advantage of those innovations.

If you’d like to discuss your voice and data network infrastructure, our team is here to help.   Contact us to learn more about our services.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy:

5 Ways to Virtualize Your Network Infrastructure

Will Moving to the Cloud Change the Role of I.T.?

How Software-Defined Storage Makes Sense in Today’s Data-Driven Economy

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Converged Technology Professionals offers voice and data network consulting services that help businesses better manage their data and voice communications efficiently and cost-effectively. Converged has offices in Milwaukee, Crystal Lake, Illinois, Indianapolis, and the Grand Rapids area and is a recognized top RingCentral Premier Partner and Mitel Platinum partner.