Many companies of varying sizes have already decided that it was worth implementing infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) into their operations. However, this decision isn’t one to take lightly. Here are some considerations for all MSPs and other business decision makers when it comes to using infrastructure-as-a-service for their company’s IT operations.
Scalability
Companies need to think about how big they plan on getting when they evaluate whether IaaS will be worth it for them. For companies that want to grow, infrastructure-as-a-service is a smart decision because it can scale as the company adds staff members.
IaaS provides almost limitless scalability for companies experiencing rapid growth. Solopreneurs and small organizations that don’t need to scale may not have the same needs.
Cost Efficiency
Infrastructure-as-a-service tends to provide a lot of cost savings for companies of all sizes because the companies no longer need to invest in enterprise-level IT assets, maintain a large IT staff to install and troubleshoot it, and secure server rooms in the same manner.
Many of these IT requirements are handled by the vendor that provides the IaaS. This means that smaller IT departments can handle the needs of most companies and IT staff can spend their time working on tasks that the IaaS doesn’t already take care of.
In addition, infrastructure-as-a-service is available in a pay-as-you-go model. New companies don’t have to spend a lot of money to invest in IT hardware and software that they don’t need yet. If, down the line, the company decides that it is more effective to own its own infrastructure, using an IaaS in the meantime will not impact that. Plus, IaaS is always up-to-date thanks to automated updates handled by the hoster of the infrastructure.
Outside Expertise
Many small to medium-sized companies do not have the resources to hire a large and experienced team of IT professionals. When you choose an infrastructure-as-a-service provider, you have access to all the expertise and experience of that outside company, as well as their technicians and engineers.
In other words, you gain access to a wealth of knowledge for a fraction of the price of hiring your own in-house specialists.
Cloud Access
Moving to the cloud is one of the most important trends of the past few years. Even large corporations do it to increase accessibility and to streamline their operations. In fact, 80 percent of all company IT budgets will be committed to cloud solutions in 2018.
Security
Switching to infrastructure-as-a-service represents a major shift in the way that a company and its IT assets operate. It can also increase vulnerability by relying on third-party IaaS companies, so it is important to choose a reliable IaaS supplier with a track record of integrity, security and professionalism.
Many companies benefit from using infrastructure-as-a-service in their operations. It saves them money and hassle while providing these businesses with an easy way to scale and integrate more people into their businesses.