Cloud Based Solutions – Are you keeping up with the Acronyms?

Do you remember when the only cloud based solution revolved around a SaaS (Software as a Service) model?  So do we.  Fast forward nearly 2 decades, and we’ve seen an explosion of different cloud computing models and applications; however, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recognizes only 3 standard models and defines them as follows:

Software as a service (SaaS)

The capability provided to the consumer is to use the provider’s applications running on a cloud infrastructure. The applications are accessible from various client devices through either a thin client interface, such as a web browser (e.g., web-based email), or a program interface. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exception of limited user-specific application configuration settings.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

The capability provided to the consumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and other fundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy and run arbitrary software, which can include operating systems and applications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage, and deployed applications; and possibly limited control of select networking components (e.g., host firewalls).

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

The capability provided to the consumer is to deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquired applications created using programming languages, libraries, services, and tools supported by the provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, or storage, but has control over the deployed applications and possibly configuration settings for the application-hosting environment.

There’s an eruption of cloud services, and with it, more acronyms.

If you’re a cloud specialist, you know the technical world thrives by redefining boundaries, and technical entrepreneurs have a keen sense for emerging demand for business services.  The result is an eruption of more acronyms to define a variety of new cloud applications.  Are you keeping up?  We’re here to help:

Security as a Service (SECaaS)

The provisioning of managed security services from the cloud, which benefits organizations with reduced costs, ease of management, and most importantly continuous anti-virus updates.

Backend as a Service (BaaS) – aka Mobile “Backend” as a Service (MBaaS)

Features include cloud storage, push notifications, server code, user and file management, social networking integration, location services, and user management as well as many backend services. These services have their own APIs, allowing them to be integrated into applications with relative ease.

Monitoring as a Service (MaaS)

Consisting of multiple tools and applications meant to monitor a certain aspect of an application, server, system or any other IT component. There is a need for proper data collection, especially of the performance and real-time statistics of IT components, in order to make proper and informed management possible.

Communication as a Service (CaaS)

A collection of different vendor services that facilitate business communications. Organizations may use these and similar services to lower costs and increase efficiency for business processes involving audio or video telecommunications.

The core concept of CaaS – client businesses do not have to worry about maintaining servers and connections, uploading different kinds of content or doing all of the administrative work involved in keeping a communications platform functional. Business users just sign in and use the services. Types of CaaS include Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and video conferencing services.

Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS)

A service model where providers deliver different telecom or communications software applications or services, generally over the global IP network. Types of UCaaS packages include messaging tools, videoconferencing tools, and resources for facilitating different kinds of text and voice communications.

Anything as a Service (XaaS)

In simplest terms, X describes a broad category of services related to cloud computing and remote access – businesses simply buy what they need, and pay for it as they need it.

We believe XaaS, is just another way of saying “More to come”, as cloud computing continues to grow at an accelerated rate, cloud based managed services of all types will also continue to grow in the coming years.  If you’re looking for a specialist to help you launch or expand your XaaS – CultureFit has built relationships with hundreds of candidates and companies, and invested in a recruiting infrastructure and the advanced technologies needed to run it, so finding the right talent for your business can be as easy as searching through our database. So, instead of wasting valuable time and money on the lengthy process of finding potential tech candidates, talk to one of our IT Staffing Professionals at CultureFit