Cloud Computing may have been around for a while but for many of us, it’s still a little confusing. With different models and then different ways of deploying Cloud, you’d be forgiven for mixing up your public, private and PaaS.

But never fear, we’ve compiled all the information you need to decide what set of services is right for your needs.

For starters, it’s important to know that there are different Cloud models and there are different deployment strategies, each providing businesses with different levels of flexibility and control.

So, what are the different cloud models?

• IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service): This model provides all the building blocks for Cloud Computing. These hardware-related services include things like storage, computers or virtual servers. IaaS offers a high level of flexibility and control over IT resources.
• PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service): With this approach, the organisation doesn’t need to manage any underlying infrastructure, allowing you to focus on the deployment and management of business apps. PaaS promotes overall efficiency.
• SaaS (Software-as-a-Service): As the name suggest, this model includes a complete software offering managed and run on the Cloud by a service provider. A great example of SaaS is web-based email apps like Gmail from Google.

Now that you’re familiar with the different Cloud models, it’s time to discuss how one can go about deploying these different approaches to Cloud Computing. And here, the names really do say it all.

• Public Cloud: This deployment model sees your entire Cloud infrastructure located on the premises of a Cloud Computing company that offers you a Cloud service. As a business owner, you have no physical control over the infrastructure and share your service provider’s resources with their other customers.
• Private Cloud: A private network functions entirely for a single customer or organisation. It’s not shared with others and can be hosted externally or on-premise. Levels of security and control are highest when using a private network.
• Hybrid Cloud: Want the best of both worlds? With hybrid Cloud, businesses will deploy a mix of both public and private Cloud depending on their needs. This suits organisations wanting to host critical business apps on private Clouds and apps with fewer security concerns on public Clouds.

In a recent blog post, we highlighted why a Cloud-based approach to Telecoms Expense and Lifecycle Management is a smart business decision. Our TEM platform, OneView, leverages all the benefits of Cloud Computing to provide businesses with a high performance, scalable system that enables next generation telecoms and business innovation. Keen to learn more about OneView? Complete the form below and we’ll be in touch.