Introduction
Cloud computing is one of the greatest innovations of the 21st century. Cloud computing can be defined as the practice of using a remote server network that is hosted on the internet. Rather than using a local server, this remote server can be used to store, manage and process data. “Anything as a service” (XaaS) is a feature of cloud computing that offers a variety of different services on the internet, which includes, software as a service (SaaS), data as a service (DaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS). Whether it is an individual, small business or large business, cloud computing can have a big impact.
Advantages of XaaS
Improving the expense model is one of the biggest benefits for XaaS. Prior to XaaS and cloud services, businesses had to buy individual products (software, hardware, servers, security, infrastructure), install, and link it all together to create networks. Due to the massive overhead to start a traditional business, this would result in less people willing to take the risk to start a business. With XaaS, prospective business starters would be much more likely to start a business. XaaS models allows businesses buy what they need and pay as they go. The massive capital expenditures previously required to start a business is simply operating costs now.
Another benefit of XaaS is the flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions with new software or solutions. The software multitenancy made available by cloud computing allows for multiple clients to add services as needed. Likewise, it is just as easy to subtract services as needed. This approach allows businesses to quickly access the newest technologies available. Conventional businesses may have a hard time always using the newest technologies available due to infrastructure limitations, but with XaaS, this allows businesses to seamlessly scale their infrastructure when more computer resources are needed.
Disadvantages of XaaS
Despite all the advantages XaaS offers, there are some potential drawbacks. One of the biggest fears for any business is downtime, which directly translates into less profits. The internet breaks sometimes, and when it does, your XaaS provider is not immune to it either. If XaaS servers go down, this will impact the business as well.
Transitioning to XaaS can relieve IT staff of some their regular tasks, but because of its increased complexity, when something does go wrong, it may be harder to troubleshoot the problem. Staying up to date with the latest technology can help to lessen any impact.
Conclusion
XaaS has proven that it can be the pillar of any business. The accessibility of top-of-the-line infrastructure without having a large overhead can be appealing to many prospective business starters. As this technology evolves, hopefully we can see the disadvantages of XaaS being addressed to have less of an impact.
References
NetApp. “What Is XaaS (Anything as a Service)?” NetApp, NetApp, www.netapp.com/knowledge-center/what-is-anything-as-a-service-xaas/.
O'Brien, Sam. “Anything as a Service (XaaS).” RingCentral UK Blog, RingCentral UK, 15 May 2021, www.ringcentral.co.uk/gb/en/blog/definitions/anything-as-a-service-xaas/.
November 28, 2017 • Skytap. “Demystifying SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS.” Skytap, 13 Feb. 2018, www.skytap.com/blog/demystifying-saas-paas-and-iaas/.
