The death of commodity IT services (like email) begins with IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, MaaS, CaaS, and culminates in XaaS. The following strengths and pitfalls to each portion of the SPI model can be ascertained through this lens, and in the following ways:
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
The IaaS strength resides in giving leeway to users to build as they please, offer shared control over processes, shared on premise and cloud functionality, the prevention of “cloud bursting,” and also the offering of scalability. The weaknesses in the infrastructure model are that buyers feel they must rely too much on their IaaS provider to intervene when issues arise.
PaaS (Platform as a Service)
The strengths of the platform as a service model are speedy deployment, versatile configuration capacities, and virtually unparalleled performance assessment. Despite these benefits, the weaknesses still exist with the difficulty in integrating the technology with existing applications, software, and systems.
SaaS (Software as a Service)
The strengths of this platform are the fact no tech expertise is required, very low-cost, great for small businesses, and reduced hardware dependence. It’s weaknesses, though minimal, can include input delays and exclusive dependence on the internet.
MaaS (Monitoring as a Service)
Monitoring as a service enables companies to move their monitoring tools to the cloud, which can eliminate the risks associated with downtime for output intensive companies or business cycles.
CaaS (Communication as a Service)
Communication as a Service lets workers and potential customers utilize business grade VoIP and VPNs (virtual private networks, as are typically found in healthcare clinics). As organizations grow in inter-connectivity and shared services, this component of XaaS will become especially prevalent.
Conclusion: An XaaS Prospectus
In consideration of these technology models’ respective strengths and weaknesses, Xaas will combine all of these elements, and only the future can tell how the strengths and weaknesses will eventually coincide with each other.
Although the SPI models are important, the impact of XaaS will tip the scale toward a massive paradigm shift in which technology is no longer considered a mere resource, but also a strategic imperative for ensuring business profitability in mass.
Hosting has become a cloudy topic with all these different acronyms, and is even further complicated by the addition of “anything” or “everything” as a service to the sphere of interpretation.
Although these different delivery models culminate in XaaS, they are yet to reach the level of advent expected. One could argue, however, that these various cloud deployment models have always existed, and until recently were merely not compartmentalized as expected. To begin your organization’s journey toward an XaaS world, begin with the right document management tools that solve common office problems today.