Best Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Providers in 2024

What Is Infrastructure as a Service?

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), or cloud infrastructure services, is a type of cloud computing where users access their IT infrastructure via the internet. In simpler terms, it's like renting computer elements such as servers, data storage, and network capabilities rather than owning them outright. With IaaS, you don't need to physically own or maintain hardware; instead, you use virtual resources provided by a service provider.

IaaS is closely linked to serverless computing, a model where you don't worry about managing the servers behind your applications. Instead, you focus on writing and running code, while the cloud provider handles the server management.

How Does IaaS Work?

IaaS operates by outsourcing the physical components of IT infrastructure, like machines, software, and data storage, to third-party service providers. These providers manage and store the infrastructure across numerous data centers they own and operate. In this setup, the responsibility for maintenance, including services like monitoring, security, data backup, and recovery, lies with the IaaS providers.

Through a virtual interface, businesses gain access to computing resources, enabling them to construct and oversee their personalized virtual data centers. These resources cover various digital elements like connections between networks, space for virtual servers, and identification codes known as IP addresses.

Typically, resources are provisioned using a multi-tenant model, which optimizes efficiency and cost-effectiveness. However, for clients requiring completely separate environments, providers offer a single-tenant model, albeit at a higher cost. This model caters to businesses with specific security or compliance needs, granting them dedicated infrastructure for their exclusive use.

Who Uses IaaS Solutions?

Various types of companies and industries rely on IaaS solutions for their operational needs;

• Enterprises of Varying Sizes: Both small and large-scale enterprises employ IaaS solutions and infrastructure managed services to oversee their IT infrastructure without the necessity of maintaining physical hardware.
• Software Development Firms: Companies involved in software development utilize IaaS for flexible, scalable environments to test, develop, and deploy applications without investing in dedicated infrastructure.
• E-commerce and Retail: Companies in online selling benefit from the adaptable nature of IaaS to manage changing levels of online visitors, guaranteeing a smooth shopping experience for buyers.
• Healthcare Sector: Healthcare institutions use IaaS cloud to securely manage patient information, adhering to confidentiality regulations while allowing access to important data.
• Financial Services: Financial institutions opt for IaaS to securely store sensitive data, ensuring robust security measures and regulatory compliance.
• Education and Research: Academic institutions and research organizations use IaaS for data storage, computational tasks, and collaboration on projects, leveraging its scalability and cost-effectiveness.

What are the Benefits of IaaS?

IaaS offers various benefits for businesses, such as; virtual desktop infrastructure

• Pay-Per-Use Pricing Model: IaaS functions on a payment method where users are billed for the resources they utilize. This usage-based billing method ensures cost efficiency and is particularly beneficial for healthcare organizations with varying computational needs or those aiming to optimize their operational expenses.
• Reduction in Capital Expenditure: By shifting from traditional on-premises infrastructure to IaaS and infrastructure managed services, companies can avoid significant upfront costs for hardware and maintenance. This saves money and frees up capital for other essential healthcare investments.
• Scalability and Flexibility: IaaS enables rapid scalability, accommodating fluctuations in demand. For healthcare, this translates to the ability to upscale resources during peak periods, such as handling increased patient data or facilitating telemedicine services. Conversely, it allows for downsizing when demand decreases, ensuring cost-effectiveness. Additionally, IaaS streamlines the management of virtual desktop infrastructure, enabling healthcare institutions to efficiently handle desktop environments without the constraints of physical hardware.
• Enhanced Security Measures: IaaS providers invest heavily in security technologies and expertise to provide protection against cyber threats. This aspect is critical in safeguarding sensitive patient health records and ensuring compliance with healthcare data regulations.
• Streamlined Operations and Innovation: The self-service nature of IaaS provisioning via a simple internet connection empowers healthcare organizations to focus on innovation and core competencies. IT staff can redirect their efforts towards higher-value projects like driving innovation in patient care, medical research, and healthcare Software.
• Rapid Recovery and Reduced Downtime: With IaaS, businesses benefit from instant recovery capabilities such as minimizing downtime during system outages or disruptions. This guarantees uninterrupted availability of vital patient data and services.
• Empowering Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs): IaaS levels the playing field, allowing smaller healthcare entities to access advanced computing resources and compete on par with larger institutions. This democratization of technology ensures that even smaller healthcare providers can use cutting-edge infrastructure for improved patient care and service delivery.

IaaS Use Cases & Examples

laaS solutions find utility in diverse scenarios, offering advantages in the following;

• Disaster Recovery or Backup Solutions: IaaS helps in establishing reliable disaster recovery and backup solutions. It creates centralized file storage and backup mechanisms for multiple users which ensures data integrity and accessibility during critical situations. This aspect is crucial for maintaining the security of patient records but also for ensuring continuous access to healthcare information across virtual desktop infrastructure.
• Program Testing and Development: For healthcare software development, IaaS offers scalability for creating test and development environments swiftly. This agility is instrumental in enhancing the efficiency of creating and refining medical applications, thereby facilitating better healthcare solutions.
• Hosting Complex Websites: While simpler websites might not benefit as much, complex healthcare platforms can use IaaS for hosting. Managing fluctuating traffic, ensuring data security, and accommodating variable demands in healthcare portals or telemedicine platforms becomes feasible with the scalability and flexibility offered by IaaS solutions.
• High Computing Performance: IaaS accommodates high-performance computing requirements, which are indispensable in healthcare for handling complex calculations and managing large volumes of medical data. This scalability ensures better computational power for medical research, analysis, and simulations.
• Big Data Analysis: Healthcare generates vast amounts of data. IaaS aids in managing, storing, and analyzing this data efficiently which assists in deriving valuable insights. This aspect is crucial in healthcare for predictive analysis, improving patient care, and fostering innovative treatments and procedures.
• Real-life Examples
• GE Health Cloud on AWS: GE Healthcare employs Amazon Web Services (AWS) to power the GE Health Cloud. Storing massive amounts of medical imaging data on Amazon S3 allows global access and processing of information from various medical devices.
• Coca-Cola Amatil and SoftLayer CRM: Coca-Cola Amatil utilized SoftLayer's pay-as-you-go infrastructure to manage its CRM system efficiently during peak seasons. The flexibility of SoftLayer's architecture ensured scalability and cost-effectiveness for handling increased customer demands.

Things to Consider When Evaluating IaaS

While considering Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) options, evaluating key factors is crucial;

• Performance and Reliability: Assess the IaaS provider's reliability based on their uptime history and performance records. Data center proximity affects latency, which is vital for quick access to patient information in healthcare services.
• Scalability: A suitable IaaS provider must offer effortless adaptability to cater to the expansion of business growth. Whether facing sudden traffic spikes or a gradual increase in workload, the provider should enable effortless allocation of resources to support evolving demands.
• Security and Compliance: In the digital landscape, security is paramount. Assess encryption, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and data protection policies of potential IaaS providers. Adhering to industry regulations like GDPR or HIPAA is crucial for managing confidential medical data securely.
• Cost and Pricing Model: Providers offer varied models like pay-as-you-go or reserved instances. Ensure the pricing model fits your business requirements and usage patterns for economical solutions.
• Technical Support and SLAs: Evaluate service-level agreements (SLAs) regarding downtime, issue resolution, and customer support. Ensure their support aligns with your operational requirements.
• Integration Capabilities: Compatibility with existing IT systems is crucial during migration to IaaS. Assess integration capabilities, APIs, and application compatibility. A smooth migration process avoids disruptions and downtime.
• Geographic Reach and Latency: Consider the geographic reach of the provider, especially if catering to a diverse audience. Strategically located data centers reduce latency, enhancing user experiences for healthcare services by swiftly accessing critical patient data.

Future of IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

The future of IaaS appears promising, especially considering its role as the foundation for cloud-based software development. Over the past decade, the IaaS market has exhibited continuous growth, and this trajectory shows no signs of slowing down. Not only has IaaS cloud bolstered business efficiency, but it has also facilitated agile operations, allowing organizations to adapt swiftly to changing demands.

Forecasts indicate substantial growth in the IaaS market, with an expected increase in Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from $43.73 million in 2019 to $296.95 million by 2025. The ongoing effects of recent global events, like the shift to remote work during challenging times, have amplified the reliance on digital work environments.

IaaS, instrumental in virtualizing a company's computer resources, enables seamless resource sharing among remote teams, fostering collaborative and efficient work environments. Additionally, it provides vital supplementary services encompassing monitoring, updates, backups, and disaster recovery.

Furthermore, in the face of rising security threats targeting outdated infrastructures, transitioning to IaaS emerges as a viable solution. By cost-effectively virtualizing and modernizing infrastructure, companies can significantly reduce security risks and protect against potential cyberattacks.

With substantial investments flowing into the IaaS market, major service providers like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and IBM are positioned to experience rapid growth, potentially shaping the future of the IT industry.

How Can You Implement IaaS?

IaaS in Cloud Computing forms a critical part of virtualized computer resources accessible via the internet. Implementing IaaS involves a series of steps to ensure a successful integration;

• Identify Requirements: Begin by understanding your organization's specific needs, including computing resources, storage capacity, and networking prerequisites. Assess factors like anticipated workload, scalability demands, and desired performance levels to tailor IaaS services accordingly.
• Select an IaaS Provider: Evaluate different IaaS providers based on criteria such as performance, availability, security measures, pricing structures, and support capabilities. Assess the provider's past performance, standing, and compatibility with your organizational needs.
• Design the Infrastructure: Strategically design your IaaS setup, considering factors like the size of virtual machines, storage arrangements, network configurations, levels of backup and redundancy, and security protocols.
• Provision and Configure Resources: Utilize the tools or APIs provided by the chosen IaaS provider to create and configure virtual machines, storage options, networks, and specific virtual desktop infrastructure settings. Tailor the setup according to the predetermined design.
• Monitor and Manage: Implement continuous monitoring of resource usage, performance metrics, and security measures within your IaaS environment. Introduce proactive monitoring systems and alert mechanisms to ensure optimal performance. Adapt resource allocation as required and establish robust backup and disaster recovery strategies.

Challenges of Infrastructure as a Service

Integrating Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) brings forth several challenges that organizations need to navigate for seamless operations;

• Dependency on Internet Connectivity: IaaS is highly dependent on consistent internet connectivity. Interruptions in the internet connection may obstruct access to cloud-based resources and services. Ensuring a reliable and robust internet connection becomes crucial to effectively use IaaS capabilities.
• Security Concerns: With data and applications residing in the cloud, concerns related to data security, privacy, and compliance emerge prominently. Businesses need to thoroughly evaluate the safety protocols and accreditations presented by the IaaS cloud provider to reduce the chances of data breaches and ensure adherence to regulatory standards.
• Vendor Lock-in: Shifting from one IaaS provider to another can pose significant challenges and complexities, potentially leading to vendor lock-in. Businesses need to thoroughly analyze their future needs and carefully examine the ease of transitioning between various IaaS providers to prevent being restricted to a single service provider.

Top IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

Softwares	Features	Price
Amazon EC2	Bare Metal Instances, Optimize Compute Performance, Pause & Resume Your Instances	Price On Request
Google Compute Engine	Custom machine types, Predefined machine types, Persistent disks, GPU accelerators	Price On Request
DigitalOcean	Monitoring, Cloud Firewalls, Team Management, Backups, Snapshots	Starting at $4
phoenixNAP	Superior Network & Power Density, Robust security, High-Performance Hardware	Price On Request
InMotion Hosting	Analytics / Reporting, Configuration Management, Data Migration, Data Security	Starting at $2.99/month
Flexiscale	Load Balancing, Log Access, Network Monitoring, Performance Monitoring, SLA Monitoring	Starting at £0.01
Microsoft Azure VM	Machine Learning, Comprehensive Security, Virtual Machine Monitoring, Data Security	Price On Request
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure	Customize vCPUs & memory, Predefined cores & memory, Complete control over cloud stack	Starting at ₹414
Aruba VPC	Maximum compatibility & integration, Full control, Real-time platform scaling	Price On Request
RapidScale	Server Troubleshooting, Automatic Updates, VPN Configuration, Encrypted Data Transfer	Price On Request