Clouds and cloud services: model for telecom operators

Abroad cloud computing is not something new and is used already for a long time. In Russia outsourcing of IT of infrastructure so far only begins the development. However in the nearest future the movement towards cloud computing is inevitable. Other approaches to the IT organization of infrastructure – cloud computing (cloud computing) will be used in the future absolutely.

Today distinguish three models of providing cloud services:

• IaaS,
• SaaS and
• PaaS.

The term cloud computing is understood as providing to the end user remote access to the rented computer capacities by means of the Internet. Such outsourcing of infrastructure will allow the user not to pay attention to hardware, an installed software, technical support, etc. Lease of communication channels allows the companies to expand functionality of cloud computing, to integrate branches of the company and to create a single network of IT infrastructure.

So, that, from themselves, represent these models.

Options of services

IaaS

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) is providing quantity of infrastructure IT resources of computing powers necessary for the consumer, data warehouses, virtual servers, network infrastructure, remote jobs on the basis of the concept of cloud computing.

If in the past the different equipment required the different software, then modern technologies of virtualization of infrastructure (IaaS) allow to implement all functionality on one platform that gives the chance to provide necessary outsourcing of infrastructure of IT departments of the company.

IaaS allows to avoid expenses on resource-intensive client, network IT infrastructures, data processing infrastructures. IaaS allows to optimize use of the rented capacities as much as possible.

For the customer the IaaS technology looks as follows: there is a purchase not of the specific equipment, but server time, capacity of network channels and disk space. The concept of IaaS allows to buy those capacities which are necessary for accomplishment of the specific web application.

PaaS

The PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) service is a software platform as service, offers software developers of a development tool and the code execution environment. PaaS is mainly used by software developers as the platform is focused on a separate stack of technologies among which there are programming languages, sets of libraries, etc. Most often PaaS apply to development of web applications.

PaaS first of all differs in scalability – release of the separate resources necessary for service of a certain number of users. Besides, PaaS are inherent such lines as high reliability and security. Thanks to the concept of PaaS, developers are provided with the reliable platform on which it is possible to create web applications with support of security of network traffic, a possibility of data encapsulation about clients, the source code, etc.

SaaS

SaaS (Software as a Service) is a model of the ready cloud applicaions allowing to replace software which traditionally was established locally and to consume it from a cloud. The main advantage of this model is the lack of costs for installation and support of the network and server hardware, data warehouses, and the accompanying software.

Features of SaaS of services:

• the application can be available far off by means of different devices and a web of clients;
• several clients can use one application at once;
• monthly subscription fee, or payment for volume of the performed operations;
• practically all software updatings happen imperceptibly for clients and only in exceptional cases work of service temporarily stops;
• the qualified technical support is included in the cost of a subscription fee.

Using SaaS, you pay not for ownership of a certain application, and for its lease (use). Advantages of such scheme it is available: the customer pays rather little money, at the same time there is no need to invest huge amounts of money on purchase of the software, and then to make regular investments on its support. If need of use of the web application disappears, you can stop its payment, thereby having temporarily frozen its work.

If to look with eyes of the developer of the proprietary software, SaaS of the solution allow to fight most effectively against piracy (use of the software in circumvention of the license) as the end software product does not fall into hands of the users paying its lease. Besides, SaaS allows to cut down expenses on technical and consulting support of an end product. Lease of communication channels and use of SaaS of solutions for business allow to create own corporate infrastructure.

Users of cloud services – in the main weight, represent the companies working in the field of small and medium business business owners who are not able to afford acquisition of expensive network equipment, not less expensive software and to be spent regularly for their setup, support, upgrade and updating.

This service will be also profitable to the companies having a wide branch network as standard technologies assume huge costs for ensuring communications both in offices, and for ensuring communication with clients. Even the large companies can find for themselves several interesting opportunities of the SaaS model, for optimization of the business.

Operator of cloud services

Who can become the operator of cloud services:

• developers of the proprietary software;
• the owners of data centers who are engaged in resale of the services placed in these data centers;
• large telecom operators which have the data centers and an opportunity to provide not only cloud services via the Internet, but also to provide communication channels, thereby having provided to the user complex service.

The general for all three types of operators can be considered competences in the field of security and fault tolerance of a cloud service, so-called [[[SLA|[SLA]] - Service Level Agreement (The agreement on the quality level)|SLA] and also quality of support of the user, convenience of calculations and interactions. In a word - service.

Operators of the first type can have competences of introduction of completions also. Operators of the second type - to provide additional technical guarantees at the expense of, as a rule, big capacities and wide experience (for example, the distributed data centers, backup), the best service and also an opportunity to purchase from them at once several services in one packet that simplifies calculations. But the most interesting are operators of the third type who will be able to offer still big complexity and uniformity, having actually undertaken all outsourcing of service entirely - an IT component, telecommunication, payment and support. Taking into account change of trends of operator business around the world there is a probability that the third type of operators will become very widespread model.

What is necessary for start of services for the operator

The client, generally, wants to receive service from a cloud, for this purpose it is necessary for it:

• learn about service;
• get access to service;
• get advice on use and setup of service;
• configure the received service;
• pay use of service;
• receive documents on payment of services.

For satisfaction of needs of the client for the proposal of the operator there have to be three big areas:

• client service;
• provision of services;
• support of services.

Figure 1

For normal functioning of the operator of cloud services it needs to provide a covering with the software complexes of all 3 areas (Figure 1). Let's disclose required functionality:

1. Provision of services: directly the software complex provided to the client by this cloud.

2. Client service: the software complex provided by the operator to the client for:

• abilities to manage the received service;
• introduction of payment for use of service;
• possibilities of obtaining references, consultations and technical support;
• obtaining accounting documents (account, invoice).

3. Support of services: the software complex for:

• settings of the provided service;
• calculation of the consumed services by clients;
• drawing of accounts to clients for the consumed services;
• processings of questions of receivables;
• acceptance of information on the arrived payments;
• interactions with the systems of accounting;
• the organizations of settlement with partners;
• authorizations of the client and access control of clients to services;
• granting different type of the reporting;
• providing information for help desks.