Businesses and professional service firms are becoming increasingly reliant on cloud services to support their technology needs. But with a variety of options available, finding the right cloud service for your business can feel overwhelming. Before you make the switch, here are the various cloud services and the advantages they offer.

• SaaS (Software as a Service): SaaS, arguably the most common cloud service, allows users to access individual software applications through the internet. A few examples of SaaS are Google Drive, Office 365, and Slack. Rather than having to install applications and update them on a local device, users can access and use software applications through a web browser or a mobile app. SaaS providers handle all of the necessary software, security, and performance updates on their end. With application information stored in the provider’s cloud, users do not have to worry about losing data or forgetting to save a project. SaaS is useful for any business that needs a specific piece of software.
  
  
• DaaS (Desktop as a Service): DaaS is a cloud-based solution that moves your desktops, servers, applications, and files to a private cloud. DaaS users stream a virtual Windows desktop through the internet, allowing for full access to all applications and files from anywhere on any device, and eliminating the need for in-house servers and excess hardware. With DaaS, every connection runs through the provider's private cloud and delivers a secure connection, regardless of a user's location or device. DaaS also provides scalability, if your team is growing or shrinking, adding or removing users with DaaS is simple. For many firms, especially those that handle sensitive data, leveraging the security of DaaS is an additional benefit. DaaS is perfect for supporting a hybrid or remote workplace, scaling your IT, ensuring employees work securely, and increasing flexibility and mobility. 
  
  
• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): IaaS provides IT resources, such as computing power, storage, and networking, through the internet. With IaaS, businesses can access and use these resources on a pay-as-you-go basis, rather than purchasing, maintaining, and managing in-house systems. This allows businesses to quickly scale their infrastructure resources up or down as needed and reduce physical hardware. IaaS is great for firms that want to lower their hardware and implementation costs and only pay for the resources they use.
  
  
• PaaS (Platform as a Service): PaaS is a type of cloud computing mainly used by software developers, and provides a platform for the development, deployment, and management of applications and services. With PaaS, developers can build, test, and deploy applications and services on a cloud-based platform, rather than having to manage the underlying infrastructure themselves. PaaS is best for firms that develop custom applications and need to host and manage existing applications.

So which cloud service is right for you? It depends entirely on your firm’s individual needs, and a combination of cloud services may be the best solution. Each cloud service can be useful for different business needs and can help organizations to reduce their IT costs, increase their flexibility, and improve their scalability.

To learn more about cloud solutions, contact Tabush Group.