The usage of cloud computing is increasing by the day, as it is providing companies a chance to focus more on core business aspects like strategic planning and maintenance instead of having to focus on minor issues. Thanks to the growing popularity of cloud computing, there are different models that have now emerged to meet the differing needs of users and business owners. All of these cloud services provide different levels of management and control that will make operations more manageable and flexible.

There are seven types of cloud computing that offer you the chance to expand your I.T. capacity without the additional cost of having to improve the infrastructure or buying more software.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

The IaaS is the building block of the cloud computing system because it gives access to data storage space, networking features, and computers. The infrastructure of this type of service provides high levels of flexibility and gives you higher control over I.T. resources.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software as a Service will give you a product that is managed by the service provider. Since it’s a complete product, you don’t have to worry about the underlying infrastructure or maintenance. The basic idea is to give the application to multiple users, with the help of a web-based interface. This is commonly used by the Sales or Human Resources department in the company. One great example is the email system; we simply send and receive email without worrying about the technicalities involved.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Thanks to Platform as a Service, there is no need for organizations to work on the underlying infrastructure, which gives one more time to manage its applications. This means that businesses don’t have to worry about capacity planning, patching, resource procurement, or software maintenance. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that this is a variant of SaaS, because you get to run the application.

Managed Services

This is one of the oldest iterations of cloud solutions. What happens is, the application is not utilized by the end users but instead by the cloud provider. Some examples of managed services include application monitoring services and anti-spam services.

Service Commerce

Service commerce is an amalgamation of Managed Services and SaaS. It provides you with services that the end user interacts with. This could include travel ordering, expense tracking, and virtual assistant services.

Utility Cloud Services

Utility cloud services are storage and server solutions that any organization has access to on demand. It even allows the creation of a virtual data center.

Web-Based Cloud Services

Web based cloud services lets you use web services instead of completely developed applications. A good instance of this would be including an API for Google Maps, or payment gateways used to process credit cards.

Your cloud experience can be personalized to fit the unique needs of your business, so research your options to find out which model best suits your company.