Cloud Computing - Business Structures

Cloud computing is a relatively new concept emerging throughout business structures in the current business scene . It removes the need for individuals and businesses to own, manage, and maintain every piece of hardware, software, and other equipment necessary for managing servers of data and computing power by providing these services from a centralized and easy to access location through the internet. These Cloud services are delivered to customers in packages that afford them the flexibility and cost savings they need .

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the primary level of the cloud that all other layers, such as the Platform and Software layers, are built upon. The Infrastructure layer consists of banks of servers providing server space, owned and maintained by an IaaS provider, hosted in a central location that are contracted out on an as-needed basis to customers. Networking, data storage, data maintenance, and Operating System Hosting are just a few of the many services that IaaS provides. By utilizing this aspect of Cloud Computing , businesses no longer need to devote space, employee time, and financial resources to the purchase, setup, and maintenance of server banks to store customer and business data, provide raw computing power for the company’s programs, and manage networking between employees, managers, and customers. IaaS also lays the groundwork for the implementation of Platform as a Service Cloud Computing .

Platform as a Service (PaaS) is the second major layer of the cloud, also called the middleware that offers a development platform for developers. The idea is that all the company’s development can happen in this category, saving time and money and making collaboration easier for scattered workgroups (Ludwig). PaaS companies present multiple solutions for developing and deploying applications without the cost and complexity of managing primary hardware and software. They provide the operating system, hardware, software upgrades, and security and assist with application management, design, and hosting. After the developers write the code, the PaaS provider offers a simple method to upload and present it on the internet. Developers do not have access to the underlying operating system because applications that run on the PaaS platforms have limitations that protect the provider. The PaaS providers are usually limited to certain languages and IDEs. Although different names can be used for platforms, including the on-demand platform known as Cloud 9, they all have developmental potential. Google App Engine was one of the first PaaS providers. Force.com, Engine Yard, and Coghead are other current active providers (C, Lewis ).

“Software as a service, sometimes referred to as “on demand software”, is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally and are typically accessed by users using a thin client, normally using a web browser over