SEARCH (ENTER TO SEE ALL RESULTS)
Cancel Search
POPULAR TOPICS
Contributed
sponsored-post-contributed
News
Analysis
The New Stack Makers
Tutorial
Podcast
Feature
Research
Profile
The New Stack Logo
Skip to content
  • Podcasts
  • Events
  • Ebooks
    • DevOps
    • DevSecOps
    • Docker Ecosystem
    • Kubernetes Ecosystem
    • Microservices
    • Observability
    • Serverless
    • Storage
    • All Ebooks
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsorship
  • • • •
    • Podcasts
      • TNS @Scale Series
      • TNS Analysts Round Table
      • TNS Context Weekly News
      • TNS Makers Interviews
      • All Podcasts
    • Events
    • Ebooks
      • Machine Learning
      • DevOps
      • Serverless
      • Microservices
      • Observability
      • Kubernetes Ecosystem
      • Docker Ecosystem
      • All Ebooks
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsorship
Skip to content
  • Architecture
    • Cloud Native
    • Containers
    • Edge/IoT
    • Microservices
    • Networking
    • Serverless
    • Storage
  • Development
    • Development
    • Cloud Services
    • Data
    • Machine Learning
    • Security
  • Operations
    • CI/CD
    • Culture
    • DevOps
    • Kubernetes
    • Monitoring
    • Service Mesh
    • Tools
Search The New Stack
 

Cloud Services

▾ 5 MINUTE READ — CLOSE

There are multiple providers offering cloud services and solutions in different industries.

Leading cloud computing vendors include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, the Google Cloud Platform, Alibaba, IBM Cloud, DigitalOcean, Packet, and the Oracle Cloud. These providers offer a wide range of computing, storage, messaging, processing, and other cloud services, all consumed on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Types of Cloud Platforms
Cloud computing refers to services run and accessed over the internet. There are different types of cloud platforms, created with a mix of technologies that enable cloud computing. These offerings might differ in terms of location, ownership, and use, among many other factors.

Here are the four different types of clouds:
Public Cloud
These are clouds created from infrastructure that is not owned by the end-user. Traditionally, public clouds ran off-premises, but recent public clouds offer cloud services on clients’ premises.
Private Cloud
These cloud environments are created for a given group of users, usually running within the users’ firewall.
Hybrid Cloud
This cloud combines public and private clouds connected through a specified network.
Multicloud
This is a cloud approach that includes multiple cloud vendors and services. While all hybrid clouds are multiclouds, not all multiclouds are hybrid clouds.
What Are Cloud Services?
Cloud services are web-based services that allow organizations to control and monitor their data by using scalable, reliable, virtual resources. Cloud services have been divided into three major categories: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
Are Cloud-Native and Cloud-Based Software the Same?
Although both have many similarities, cloud-native and cloud-based software are different.

Cloud-native software is architected in the cloud and built to run in public clouds like Azure, AWS, and other cloud technologies. Cloud-native applications are flexible and backed by microservices architecture, enabling parts of an app to be upgraded without total disruption.

Cloud-based software is architected in traditional servers but is moved to a cloud provider so that its local components can work with cloud structures. Cloud-based software leverages the scalability and availability of cloud-native applications. When applications are transferred to a cloud provider, organizations are no longer responsible for managing the resources needed to run the application. This feature eliminates the need to maintain servers and manage backups.

Cloud Service Types
Cloud services are generally divided into three categories:
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
IaaS is one of the first cloud computing services that comprise security tools, networking, storage, and computing. IaaS tools allow organizations to manage and configure software while maintaining maximum hardware and software stack control.

IaaS providers create the infrastructure, and companies provide the remaining tools needed for their internal networks. With these infrastructure services, organizations can reduce the cost of capital needed to create their internal infrastructure. Infrastructure-as-a-service examples include Rackspace, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Compute Engine (GCE).
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
PaaS is a development environment in the cloud that provides resources for delivering operating systems through the web without requiring installation or constant downloads.

Platforms-as-a-service solutions maintain the basic infrastructure of many IaaS tools. It also has development tools, database management systems, middleware, and operating systems needed to build software applications. PaaS is best suited for companies that develop software and web applications, as it allows developers to access development tools when needed without buying them directly. PaaS solutions include Microsoft Azure, Google App Engine, and Apache Stratos.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
SaaS is an advanced software solution that comes in web-based software applications. The cloud provider maintains the operating system, middleware, data, and infrastructure needed to run the software in specific SaaS solutions. The provider also ensures that the software application is available when needed.

Software-as-a-service solutions are best suited to users who want to avoid overhead costs as there is no significant capital required for use. Many SaaS offerings come in the form of subscriptions or installment payments. Some SaaS examples are LaunchDarkly, Mirantis, Aqua Security, and Salesforce.
Benefits of Cloud Technologies
Cloud technology, also known as cloud computing, uses networks to access digital resources stored on the cloud. Cloud technologies allow organizations to scale up and down when needed.

Here are some benefits of cloud technologies:

Storage. Cloud storage is not limited in capacity like some physical devices may be. Cloud storage is unlimited and accessible to everyone who can afford it.
Collaboration. Cloud computing enhances communication and resource sharing between team members in remote locations. This capability has been invaluable since remote and hybrid work became prominent.
Affordability. Many cloud technologies allow organizations that cannot afford the overhead costs — or initial capital required to build internal technologies — to access vital technologies on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Recovery. Cloud technologies allow organizations to develop disaster recovery solutions and implement backups swiftly.

Challenges Surrounding Cloud Solution Services
Cloud-based services are applications or software that provide information technology (IT) as-a-service over a specified network or the internet. Delivery of cloud-based services is on-demand, and users make payments based on usage.

Cloud services have numerous capabilities that have improved software development, deployment, and service delivery, to name a few. But they have drawbacks, too.

Here are some challenges associated with cloud-based platforms:

Lock-in. An organization may get too dependent on a set of services from a single provider, making it challenging to move operations to another cloud if they find the current provider no longer suitable.
Cost. Cloud computing often saves businesses money. Still, the scalable features and on-demand use of cloud-based platforms make it difficult to anticipate cloud software costs, which may be very expensive.
Compliance. As industry standards and policies are updated, organizations that use cloud storage and backups often face compliance issues whenever they want to move data from their internal storage to the cloud.

Find the Latest News on Cloud Computing at The New Stack
At The New Stack, we keep track of the wealth of technologies, tools, and services that will help organizations make the most of their cloud services. Here is also the place to find out the best practices on setting up hybrid clouds, resilient and secure multicloud systems, and other cloud platforms.

Specifically, we explore issues such as costing, cloud migration, cross-cloud Kubernetes support, application deployment, cloud application performance, and monitoring. Learn more about these concepts in the cloud services category.


The New Stack Newsletter Sign-Up
A newsletter digest of the week’s most important stories & analyses.
Do you also want to be notified of the following?
We don’t sell or share your email. By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Cloud Services / Tools / Sponsored / Contributed
The 4 Definitions of Multicloud: Part 2 — Workflow Portability
19 Apr 2021 2:00pm, by Armon Dadgar
Cloud Services / Culture / Open Source
Apache Mesos Narrowly Avoids a Move to the Attic (for Now)
13 Apr 2021 10:42am, by Jack Wallen
Cloud Services / Data Science / Sponsored / Contributed
The 4 Definitions of Multicloud: Part 1 — Data Portability
12 Apr 2021 1:33pm, by Armon Dadgar
Cloud Native Ecosystem / Cloud Services / Storage / Contributed
Multicloud Paves the Way for Cloud Native Resiliency Models
12 Apr 2021 12:42pm, by Matthew Leybold
Cloud Services / Open Source / Sponsored / Contributed
Why Hybrid Cloud Needs Virtualization
9 Apr 2021 11:11am, by Charles-Henri Schulz
Cloud Services / Security / Sponsored
Okta Launches a Unified Control Plane for Enterprise Identity and Access Management
7 Apr 2021 2:21pm, by Joab Jackson
Cloud Services / Security / Sponsored / Contributed
Protect Workloads Utilizing RDP in AWS from Common Brute Force Attacks
1 Apr 2021 12:00pm, by Maya Levine
Cloud Services / Open Source / Software Development
Eclipse Open VSX Registry Offers Open Access to VS Code Extensions
31 Mar 2021 1:56pm, by Mike Melanson
https://cdn.thenewstack.io/media/2016/01/PodcastBrandingOverlay_TNS_Makers.svg
Cloud Native Ecosystem / Cloud Services / Security / Sponsored
Orchestrating Against Advanced Threats in the Cloud
30 Mar 2021 3:00pm, by Alex Williams and B. Cameron Gain
Cloud Services / Technology / Sponsored / Contributed
CPU Benchmarks for Cloud Providers: Intel vs. AMD vs. Amazon’s Arm-Based Graviton2
30 Mar 2021 7:02am, by John Kendall
Cloud Native Ecosystem / Cloud Services / IoT Edge Computing
What Intel’s Fab-for-Hire Plan Could Offer Hyperscale Cloud Platforms
29 Mar 2021 1:01pm, by Mary Branscombe
https://cdn.thenewstack.io/media/2016/01/PodcastBrandingOverlay_TNS_Makers.svg
Cloud Services / Data Science / Security / Sponsored
The Invisible Matrix of Optimal Infrastructure Security 
24 Mar 2021 1:38pm, by Alex Williams and B. Cameron Gain
Cloud Native Ecosystem / Cloud Services / Sponsored / Contributed
Multicloud Challenges and Solutions
24 Mar 2021 9:00am, by Shaun O'Meara
Cloud Services / Sponsored / Contributed
Mass Customization Megatrend Revealed in Cloud
24 Mar 2021 3:00am, by Paul Teich
Cloud Native Ecosystem / Cloud Services
Are Private Clouds Proliferating?
18 Mar 2021 10:25am, by Lawrence E Hecht
Cloud Services / Serverless / Sponsored / Contributed
Stop Talking About Multicloud and Hybrid Cloud and Start Talking About Integration
15 Mar 2021 8:38am, by Mark Hinkle
Cloud Services / Data Science / Machine Learning
VMware’s vSphere Gets Direct Access to Nvidia’s AI Frameworks and GPUs
12 Mar 2021 10:09am, by B. Cameron Gain
https://cdn.thenewstack.io/media/2016/01/PodcastBrandingOverlay_TNS_Makers.svg
Cloud Services / Networking / Observability / Sponsored
When Managing Application Experiences Requires Internet Visibility
11 Mar 2021 1:44pm, by Alex Williams and B. Cameron Gain
Cloud Native Ecosystem / Cloud Services
Google and Oracle Cloud Adoption Doubles Among Enterprises
11 Mar 2021 8:46am, by Lawrence E Hecht
Cloud Services / Microservices / Contributed
3 Key Factors for Future-Proofing SaaS Cloud Platforms
9 Mar 2021 1:56pm, by Mike Tria
Cloud Services / Data Science / Kubernetes / Machine Learning
Hybrid Cloud Machine Learning on Kubernetes with Azure Arc
8 Mar 2021 9:38am, by Mary Branscombe
https://cdn.thenewstack.io/media/2016/01/PodcastBrandingOverlay_TNS_Analysts.svg
Cloud Native Ecosystem / Cloud Services / Security / Sponsored
HashiCorp Vault Gets Top Honors in Latest CNCF Tech Radar User Survey
4 Mar 2021 1:12pm, by Alex Williams and B. Cameron Gain
Cloud Services / Storage / Sponsored / Contributed
An Architect’s Guide to Hybrid Cloud Storage
3 Mar 2021 12:00pm, by Jonathan Symonds
https://cdn.thenewstack.io/media/2016/01/PodcastBrandingOverlay_TNS_Makers.svg
Cloud Native Ecosystem / Cloud Services / Data Science / Sponsored
Cloud Native Lessons Learned During These Pandemic Days
2 Mar 2021 1:38pm, by Alex Williams and B. Cameron Gain
Cloud Services / Kubernetes / Security
Google’s New ‘Autopilot’ for Kubernetes
1 Mar 2021 11:20am, by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
Cloud Native Ecosystem / Cloud Services / Kubernetes / Contributed
Design a Better Kubernetes Experience for Developers
23 Feb 2021 3:00pm, by Matthew Clarke
Pagination Previous Button
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Pagination Next Button
Architecture
  • Cloud Native
  • Containers
  • Edge/IoT
  • Microservices
  • Networking
  • Serverless
  • Storage
Development
  • Cloud Services
  • Data
  • Development
  • Machine Learning
  • Security
Operations
  • CI/CD
  • Culture
  • DevOps
  • Kubernetes
  • Monitoring
  • Service Mesh
  • Tools
The New Stack
  • Ebooks
  • Podcasts
  • Events
  • Newsletter
  • About / Contact
  • Sponsors
  • Sponsorship
  • Disclosures
  • Contributions

© 2022 The New Stack. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy. Terms of Use.