Compute Infrastructure Services

Compute Infrastructure Services

Operating in a similar fashion as that of most cloud brokerages; compute infrastructure service companies seek to provide / connect users with cloud computing services while acting as middleman between the users and service providers. However, unlike cloud brokerages, compute infrastructure services is not simply connecting users to cloud service providers, they are actually providing their clients with complete cloud computing packages. A compute infrastructure service essentially utilizes a larger organization's IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) offerings in order to sublet them out to their own clients or users. So think of it this way; one company has all the resources (hardware, servers, storage and networking) and they offer them to another company that establishes their own infrastructure, portal, access settings, package definitions and service options which they in turn, hope to sell and market to individuals and other businesses.

Conducting operations in this manner allows a dedicated compute infrastructure service company to run their operation without having to set up or maintain any actual cloud computing resources. So in effect, you have this company that is able to offer advanced cloud computing services and options that simply pays another group for both access to resources as well as maintenance of said resources. In this way, a compute infrastructure service model is a great one for companies that are just starting off in the world of cloud computing but lack a complete set of financial that would be necessary for establishing their own hardware and networking systems. So the idea and deployment method of compute infrastructure perfectly compliments a scenario where funds are set aside for an eventual upgrade or the establishment of a private / public cloud network with its own large bank of resources.

However, just as it is in any other scenario where multiple groups all have access to a specific set of cloud resources, there are security issues that must be considered and price driving issues that must be dealt with as well. Security issues will (of course) be dealt with as soon as a risk assessments and compliance guidelines have been thoroughly researched and established. Being able to limit and monitor access, while at the same time assuring that privacy guidelines are being met will solve many of the issues related to security in this field. Arguably, the most prohibitive thing about widespread use of compute infrastructure services is the costs associated with it.

Currently, prices are rather high due to the fact that there simply aren't enough companies / individuals involved to absorb the costs associated with the set up and maintenance of such systems. Most compute infrastructure service companies are currently based in the US also, but this is expected to change soon when CIS takes on a more global personality. When this happens, the costs for compute infrastructure services should fall by a significant amount (due to the competition between service providers that will likely ensue).

Utilizing compute infrastructure services

There are 4 major ways to utilize a compute infrastructure service:

1. Web Hosting - Utilizing a cloud provider's resources to perform familiar web hosting activities is arguably the most prevalent use of compute infrastructure services. This practice is bringing the usual activities of the web hosting market face to face with cloud computing (as well as new potentials and possibilities in the process).
2. High performance computing - For users and/or businesses that desire access to a range of resources that afford them increased computing power and potential, a compute infrastructure service may be the answer. In this type of model, a compute infrastructure service sets up a private access network or portal that might allow a user to provision increasing amounts of hardware resources. The video gaming industry as well as those engaging in various types of scientific research could benefit greatly here.
3. Test & development infrastructure - Some companies might simply need an environment with which they can perform their software testing; what better solution than to go with a compute infrastructure service? Since most compute infrastructure services are deployed on a pay-per-use basis, this is an elegant and affordable solution for software developers with regards to project development.
4. Production infrastructure - Using a compute infrastructure service as a system / network for carrying out daily business operations is not outside of the realm of possibility. Since a company utilizing these services isn't responsible for maintaining their own network or designing a system for utilizing it, this type of setup would be a win - win situation for them.

By and large, IT organizations will likely be the big purveyors of compute infrastructure services. These organizations will seek out these services at the behest of their parent organizations (or if they're an outsourced IT company, their client's). The ability of these services to automate tasks as well as offer powerful resources that can be leveraged in lieu of exorbitant expenditure continues to be a major selling point. However, as things progress and more competition enters into the equation, the beneficial possibilities (for individuals and average businesses perhaps not technological intensive or angled) will increase dramatically.