web hosting

Introduction to SaaS Hosting

Cloud computing is a highly scalable form of hosting, offering a convenient pay-as-you-go model for on-demand computing resources.  This technology provides a number of benefits to both IT professionals and non-technical users aside from the easy upgrades and utility billing approach.  Cloud computing comes in many forms, and SaaS is currently among the most widely used.  What does this computing model have to offer?  Here is a closer look.

What is SaaS?

Software-as-a-Service or SaaS, is a revolutionary delivery model that is changing the way software providers market and sell their products.  While many vendors are familiar with the concept of hosting applications and serving them via the web, few truly understand the elements that are required to successfully implement and offer quality SaaS services.

The Importance of the SaaS Hosting Provider

The SaaS hosting provider is the key to obtaining a hosted application structure that meets your specific needs.  A quality host is a firm that has the knowledge and technology to run a standard global infrastructure along with an extensive set of development capabilities and cloud platforms to ensure the fast, affordable and reliable deployment of your applications.  They will also provide top-notch consultative services to aid in the positive growth and success of your solution.  As with any type of hosted IT service, the provider you choose can either make or break your experience.

When and How to find a Reputable Provider?

So, how do you know if you require SaaS hosting?  Better yet, how do you go about finding a reliable service?  We will conclude this article by providing some information to help you decide when it is time to hand your application needs over to an outsourced company and also how to find the best SaaS hosting solution for your specific requirements.

Cloud computing has made it easier and more affordable than ever to develop, distribute and manage software applications.  However, vendors who want to implement this model need to make it a priority to build a delivery model capable of meeting the availability requirements of their customers while ensuring a highest level of security.  This is the only way customers can obtain a solution that provides the reliable, enterprise-class infrastructure needed to support their hosted application needs.  To meet this demand, many software vendors and individuals turn to SaaS hosting.

When looking for an SaaS hosting provider to distribute and maintain your applications, make sure the firm has a solid reputation in the industry for successfully running an SaaS hosted service.  You also need to ascertain that the company is able to satisfy your unique requirements.  This goes for planning, capacity, compliance and the seamless incorporation of any technologies your hosted applications may be require in the future.  To put it simple, SaaS should be something the hosting provider specializes in, not just an offering packaged beside their other products to capitalize on the cloud computing phenomenon.  Combine this with top-notch support, and you have yourself a winning solution.

Is Cloud Computing Behind the Twitter Hack?

The cloud is one of the hottest topics in the world of network computing and more recently, IT hosting and e-commerce.  Though it has proven to be a cost-efficient technology, the cloud does not come without flaws, especially if the latest high-profile internet security breach has anything to say about it.

The Infamous Twitter Hack

What is being dubbed as the “Twitter Hack” has some questioning whether security is an issue for the phenomenon that is cloud computing.  The incident that sparked the debate was actually the hacking of a Google Apps account belonging to a Twitter employee.  It has been reported that the exploit occurred because one of Twitter’s co-founders create a password for Google Apps that was easily guessed by a hacker.  This in turn, enabled the hacker to access the user’s personal information, including the data on his wife’s personal computer.

A War of the Words

Andy Cordial, managing director of data storage solutions firm Origin Storage, stated that a large number of companies and their employees are becoming victims of the cloud.  Cordial’s logic is that because cloud computing is so prevalent, businesses are being rushed into it and forced “to adapt their IT security systems on the fly.” He remarked that Origin Storage saw the shift in the business industry on the horizon and that all the security “breaches occurring on the cloud front” is proof that there are discrepancies that still need to be resolved.  Although the cloud shouldn’t necessarily take all the blame for the most recent debacle, the news isn’t certainly isn’t making anyone feel any better about the overall security of Twitter or Google Apps.

Evan Williams, the Twitter co-founder who essentially caused his wife’s Gmail webmail account to be compromised, explained to blog site TechCrunch, that the hack was absolutely not due to a lack of security on the part of Twitter.  However, Andy Cordial stressed that if Twitter would have paid more focus on security rather than growing their user base at all cost, the company wouldn’t be in the midst of a such an embarrassing situation.  Cordial added that implementing encryption into an organization’s data storage arrangement, be it in on or off the cloud, will ensure that information stored on the server and in transit is protected from malicious intent.  His final shot at the Twitter co-founder was that creating a secure password on top of encryption and sound corporate policies would have likely prevented the matter.  However, it should be stated that it was personal user accounts, not business accounts that were compromised.

Who’s to Blame?

Who should take the bullet for the so-called Twitter Hack?  Is it really the fault of the cloud, or should blame lie with Google apps or the victim?  While it is probably a good combination of all parties, one would think that a co-founder and active member of what is arguably the most popular social networking platform of the moment would have the know-how to be a little more responsible.   In any event, this breach probably will not convince many of the users who are still concerned about internet security any time soon.

The Crave Behind Cloud Hosting

Cloud computing is one of the most talked about technologies in the web hosting industry.  More businesses are finding that it can be a practical, affordable option for their storage and server needs.  So, how hot is this technology?  Well, Gartner is predicting that by 2012, nearly 80% of Fortune 1000 companies will pay for some type of cloud computing service while 30% will pay to build a cloud computing infrastructure.  If you’re not familiar with the concept, the cloud is far from what you get in the typically hosting arrangement.  The technology offers a multitude of benefits and this article will introduce you to a few of them.

Cost Effective Implementation – With a cloud hosting solution, there is no need to invest in any costly hardware, software or licenses.  Instead of making costly upfront investments, you simply add or subtract from the cloud as your needs change.  In most of these setups, you simply pay for the only the services you use.

Scalability – When IT departments anticipate enormous spikes in user load, they usually have to purchase additional hardware and software components to make it happen.  This isn’t the case with cloud hosting.  The hosting provider’s IT infrastructure typically offers all the resources you need.  Once again, you only pay for what you need and use.

Technical Expertise – When an emerging technology hits the market, it is common for a plethora of companies to jump on the proverbial bandwagon.  Unfortunately, some of them don’t have the expertise to leverage it effectively.  However, many vendors have been able to master cloud computing technology to the point where they can offer customers a highly reliable service.  This is made possible by state of the art data centers, high performance hardware and tremendous computing capacity.  The companies relying on this technology range from industry leading names like Microsoft and IBM to Google and IBM.

Optimized Resource Usage – Clouding hosting services allow businesses to shift the burdens of in-house IT tasks to third-party professionals.  This in turn, gives IT departments the opportunity to concentrate on mission-critical tasks without incurring additional costs on manpower and training.

Higher Availability - Outages and service interruptions can have a serious impact on normal business operations.  With the right cloud hosting solution, you have immediate access to 24/7 customer service and technical support to address emergency situations.  Even though cloud computing is susceptible to outages and other problems, a knowledgeable staff of technicians can dramatically reduce the threat of downtime.

Cloud Considerations

While there are many advantages to cloud computing, this technology does have some drawbacks, mainly security risks.  On the other hand, several providers offering these hosting solutions employ strict privacy policies along with advanced security measures to protect their customers.  This includes various cryptographic schemes to authenticate users and strong encryption algorithms to protect data while its in transit to third-party cloud servers.  This gives cloud hosting providers the ability to provide a much greater level of security than many businesses can achieve in-house.

Netmagic Launches Cloud Computing Solutions

On Tuesday April 14, 2009, Netmagic Solutions, a web hosting provider based in India, announced that it has become the first hosting company in the country to offer cloud computing solutions for its enterprise customers.  Netmagic cloud computing offerings consists of three different services: CloudNet, CloudServe and PrivateCloud.

CloudNet - The CloudNet service gives customers access to an IT infrastructure complete with servers, load balancers, firewalls and switches, all made possible from the installation of ready-to-deploy cloud appliances.  This particular service is designed for medium sized companies and traditional enterprises as well.

CloudServe – The CloudServe solution provides Netmagic customers with disposable server resources.  This simply means that the servers can be configured and reconfigured on an as-needed basis depending on the individual needs of the customer.  Netmagic reports that this service is best suited for small to medium sized businesses who require application hosting.

PrivateCloud – Netmagic’s PrivateCloud service is geared towards large corporations with demanding enterprise class needs.  This solution provides customers with a hosted cloud infrastructure complete with hardware and a fully managed virtualized platform.

In addition to its cloud computing solutions, the company also offers a console that allows customers to create various appliance and also upgrade or downgrade resources from the cloud according to their specific needs.  With these new services, hosting clients can effectively maintain the availability of their applications all without needing to invest double the amount in the necessary hardware and software components.  It also gives companies the added benefit of reducing and scaling their resources based on needs without the worry of hardware management.  These services are designed to optimize resource usage, reduce costs for IT infrastructure and ultimately minimize operating expenses.  Netmagic states that it will bill customers only for the resources they used on a per-hour basis.

In a recent interview, Sharad Sanghi, managed director and CEO at Netmagic, says that the company’s cloud computing services will allow them to deliver solutions with added value to their customers.  He notes that companies everywhere have been looking to optimize their IT infrastructure and reduce costs, siting that cloud computing is a technology capable of satisfying  those needs.  Sanghi reports that Netmagic Solutions is thrilled to be the first on board and expressed what an advantage it should give the company over the competition.  He concluded by stating that the new cloud services shows the company’s dedication to its expansion plans and commitment to businesses in India.

Netmagic’s latest offering is a part of its ongoing expansion plans announced last year.  The move followed recent advances the company made in SAP application management and infrastructure management services.

About Netmagic Solutions

Based in India, Netmagic Solutions offers a wide range of managed IT services.  Its portfolio consists of managed dedicated servers, remote infrastructure and management, email and messaging solutions, application hosting and various data center services.  Combing world-class data centers located in both India and the United States with the latest innovations, Netmagic provides mission-critical application hosting for more than 650 of the world’s top enterprises.