Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) has been around for decades and doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. Companies that can successfully harness IaaS stand to gain numerous advantages, driving their organizations forward at a faster pace with less up-front investment, and tapping into sophisticated technologies that might otherwise be out of reach.
In 2021, IaaS accounted for over a quarter of the overall cloud-computing market, according to Statista, and public cloud IaaS revenues continue to increase. But success with IaaS doesn’t come easy.
In this article, we’ll show you why Infrastructure as a Service is so important and highlight the key IaaS ingredients you need to succeed.
What Is Infrastructure as a Service & Why Is it Important?
Infrastructure as a Service is a cloud-based technology that allows businesses to access key elements of IT infrastructure like storage, data management, networking, and security without spending tons of money and time developing them. Instead, with IaaS, organizations use the infrastructure of a third-party provider.
The painstaking and resource-intensive work of building your own IT infrastructure from scratch is replaced by subscribing to an existing infrastructure. You’ll remain in charge of things like software, data, and decision making, but the underpinning infrastructure will be handled by your IaaS partner. This comes with a ton of benefits, such as:
- Cost efficiency. Infrastructure as a service allows you to tap into sophisticated infrastructure without a huge up-front investment. You pay for what you use and can potentially access much more advanced tools than you would otherwise be able to afford.
- Scalability. As your business grows, it’s easy to simply upgrade your IaaS plan to meet your changing needs and continue to scale. Traditionally, businesses would find their progress slowed or halted as their existing infrastructure could not support their new demands.
- Security. A good IaaS provider makes security a priority, building in powerful tools and strategies to give your organization safety and peace of mind.
Once you understand the benefits of infrastructure as a service, you may start considering implementing it in your business. But before you jump into signing up for a provider, you need to know what features to look for.
5 Must-Haves for Successful Infrastructure as a Service
Not all infrastructure-as-a-service initiatives are successful. There are lots of factors to consider, and even the best providers might struggle to help you if you don’t have the right foundations and culture in place.
Let’s explore some of the most important ingredients for IaaS success and why they’re so critical.
A Strong Technical Foundation
IaaS hinges on strong, capable technology. The provider you choose must take this seriously — their tools need to line up with your needs and be able to achieve your goals. We can break IaaS down into three main categories of infrastructure: network, storage, and compute. Here’s what you should expect in each case:
Network
Network covers resources like routers, firewalls, network endpoints, gateways, etc. Make sure these are compatible with your current infrastructure and can meet your needs reliably and securely.
Storage
Storage refers to the tools and processes that allow you to store data. The two main types of storage used in IaaS are volume storage (a virtual hard drive attached to a virtual machine) and object storage which can be easily accessed through an API or web interface and can store any type of data.
You should opt for a storage infrastructure that’s easily accessible and, most importantly, secure. There are many options for cloud storage such as Google Persistent Disk (volume storage), Amazon S3, and Azure Blob Storage (both object storage).
Compute
Compute resources in IaaS include central processing units (CPUs) which run applications and process web requests and graphical processing units (GPUs) for internal memory and tasks like training algorithms. AWS Compute is an example of a compute platform used by IaaS providers.
Smart Use of Automation
IaaS platforms use automation for a range of different tasks like deploying and provisioning infrastructure, monitoring performance, and reducing the time spent on manual, time-consuming work.
Look for an IaaS provider that has a sophisticated and well-proven approach to automation. As time goes on, this technology looks set to play a bigger and bigger role in how organizations manage infrastructure and work with the cloud. Working with a smart early adopter in this area will put you in a strong position for the future.
A Serious Approach to Security
Whichever IaaS provider you opt for, security must be a top priority. With businesses facing increasing cyber crime year on year — a trend experts don’t expect to slow down anytime soon — any infrastructure you rely on has to be properly defended against a wide and evolving range of threats.
This includes backup and disaster recovery, traffic monitoring, endpoint detection and response, and a comprehensive approach to multifactor authentication. Your IaaS provider should allow you to control who is able to access different parts of your infrastructure carefully and also implement tiered controls depending on the data in question.
A Partner That Cares
Of course, the most important element in IaaS success is the quality of your partner. Your chosen provider should understand — and help you achieve — your needs and goals. They should prioritize security and have a firm knowledge of the specific vulnerabilities your organization faces. And they should have the desire and capacity to continue working with you as your organization grows and scales.
Finding the right partner can take time, but it’s an investment well worth making. If you’re ready to start tapping into the power of infrastructure as a service, contact DYOPATH to find out if we’re a fit.
