29
Chapter 2
Web Services Delivered
from the Cloud
2.1 Chapter Overview
In this chapter we will examine some of the web services delivered from the
cloud. We will take a look at Communication-as-a-Service (CaaS) and
explain some of the advantages of using CaaS. Infrastructure is also a service
in cloud land, and there are many variants on how infrastructure is managed
in cloud environments. When vendors outsource Infrastructure-as-a-Service
(IaaS), it relies heavily on modern on-demand computing technology and
high-speed networking. We will look at some vendors who provide Soft-
ware-as-a-Service (SaaS), such as Amazon.com with their elastic cloud plat-
form, and foray into the implementation issues, the characteristics, benefits,
and architectural maturity level of the service. Outsourced hardware envi-
ronments (called platforms) are available as Platforms-as-a-Service (PaaS),
and we will look at Mosso (Rackspace) and examine key characteristics of
their PaaS implementation.
As technology migrates from the traditional on-premise model to the
new cloud model, service offerings evolve almost daily. Our intent in this
chapter is to provide some basic exposure to where the field is currently
from the perspective of the technology and give you a feel for where it will
be in the not-too-distant future.
Web service offerings often have a number of common characteristics,
such as a low barrier to entry, where services are offered specifically for con-
sumers and small business entities. Often, little or no capital expenditure for
infrastructure is required from the customer. While massive scalability is
common with these types of offerings, it not always necessary. Many cloud
vendors have yet to achieve massive scalability because their user base gener-
ally does not require it. Multitenancy enables cost and resource sharing
across the (often vast) user base. Finally, device and location independence
enables users to access systems regardless of where they are or what device
Chap2.fm Page 29 Friday, May 22, 2009 11:24 AM
30 Cloud Computing
they are using. Now, let’s examine some of the more common web service
offerings.
2.2 Communication-as-a-Service (CaaS)
CaaS is an outsourced enterprise communications solution. Providers of
this type of cloud-based solution (known as CaaS vendors) are responsible
for the management of hardware and software required for delivering Voice
over IP (VoIP) services, Instant Messaging (IM), and video conferencing
capabilities to their customers. This model began its evolutionary process
from within the telecommunications (Telco) industry, not unlike how the
SaaS model arose from the software delivery services sector. CaaS vendors
are responsible for all of the hardware and software management consumed
by their user base. CaaS vendors typically offer guaranteed quality of service
(QoS) under a service-level agreement (SLA).
A CaaS model allows a CaaS provider’s business customers to selectively
deploy communications features and services throughout their company on
a pay-as-you-go basis for service(s) used. CaaS is designed on a utility-like
pricing model that provides users with comprehensive, flexible, and (usu-
ally) simple-to-understand service plans. According to Gartner,
1
the CaaS
market is expected to total $2.3 billion in 2011, representing a compound
annual growth rate of more than 105% for the period.
CaaS service offerings are often bundled and may include integrated
access to traditional voice (or VoIP) and data, advanced unified communi-
cations functionality such as video calling, web collaboration, chat, real-
time presence and unified messaging, a handset, local and long-distance
voice services, voice mail, advanced calling features (such as caller ID, three-
way and conference calling, etc.) and advanced PBX functionality. A CaaS
solution includes redundant switching, network, POP and circuit diversity,
customer premises equipment redundancy, and WAN fail-over that specifi-
cally addresses the needs of their customers. All VoIP transport components
are located in geographically diverse, secure data centers for high availability
and survivability.
CaaS offers flexibility and scalability that small and medium-sized busi-
ness might not otherwise be able to afford. CaaS service providers are usu-
ally prepared to handle peak loads for their customers by providing services
1. Gartner Press Release, “Gartner Forecasts Worldwide Communications-as-a-Service Reve-
nue to Total $252 Million in 2007,” August 2007, retrieved 13 Jan 2009.
Chap2.fm Page 30 Friday, May 22, 2009 11:24 AM
Communication-as-a-Service (CaaS) 31
capable of allowing more capacity, devices, modes or area coverage as their
customer demand necessitates. Network capacity and feature sets can be
changed dynamically, so functionality keeps pace with consumer demand
and provider-owned resources are not wasted. From the service provider
customer’s perspective, there is very little to virtually no risk of the service
becoming obsolete, since the provider’s responsibility is to perform periodic
upgrades or replacements of hardware and software to keep the platform
technologically current.
CaaS requires little to no management oversight from customers. It
eliminates the business customer’s need for any capital investment in infra-
structure, and it eliminates expense for ongoing maintenance and opera-
tions overhead for infrastructure. With a CaaS solution, customers are able
to leverage enterprise-class communication services without having to
build a premises-based solution of their own. This allows those customers
to reallocate budget and personnel resources to where their business can
best use them.
2.2.1 Advantages of CaaS
From the handset found on each employee’s desk to the PC-based software
client on employee laptops, to the VoIP private backbone, and all modes in
between, every component in a CaaS solution is managed 24/7 by the CaaS
vendor. As we said previously, the expense of managing a carrier-grade data
center is shared across the vendor’s customer base, making it more econom-
ical for businesses to implement CaaS than to build their own VoIP net-
work. Let’s look as some of the advantages of a hosted approach for CaaS.
Hosted and Managed Solutions
Remote management of infrastructure services provided by third parties
once seemed an unacceptable situation to most companies. However, over
the past decade, with enhanced technology, networking, and software, the
attitude has changed. This is, in part, due to cost savings achieved in using
those services. However, unlike the “one-off ” services offered by specialist
providers, CaaS delivers a complete communications solution that is
entirely managed by a single vendor. Along with features such as VoIP and
unified communications, the integration of core PBX features with
advanced functionality is managed by one vendor, who is responsible for all
of the integration and delivery of services to users.
Chap2.fm Page 31 Friday, May 22, 2009 11:24 AM
32 Cloud Computing
2.2.2 Fully Integrated, Enterprise-Class Unified
Communications
With CaaS, the vendor provides voice and data access and manages LAN/
WAN, security, routers, email, voice mail, and data storage. By managing
the LAN/WAN, the vendor can guarantee consistent quality of service
from a user’s desktop across the network and back. Advanced unified com-
munications features that are most often a part of a standard CaaS deploy-
ment include:
Chat
Multimedia conferencing
Microsoft Outlook integration
Real-time presence
“Soft” phones (software-based telephones)
Video calling
Unified messaging and mobility
Providers are constantly offering new enhancements (in both perfor-
mance and features) to their CaaS services. The development process and
subsequent introduction of new features in applications is much faster, eas-
ier, and more economical than ever before. This is, in large part, because the
service provider is doing work that benefits many end users across the pro-
vider’s scalable platform infrastructure. Because many end users of the pro-
vider’s service ultimately share this cost (which, from their perspective, is
miniscule compared to shouldering the burden alone), services can be
offered to individual customers at a cost that is attractive to them.
No Capital Expenses Needed
When business outsource their unified communications needs to a CaaS
service provider, the provider supplies a complete solution that fits the com-
pany’s exact needs. Customers pay a fee (usually billed monthly) for what
they use. Customers are not required to purchase equipment, so there is no
capital outlay. Bundled in these types of services are ongoing maintenance
and upgrade costs, which are incurred by the service provider. The use of
CaaS services allows companies the ability to collaborate across any work-
space. Advanced collaboration tools are now used to create high-quality,
Chap2.fm Page 32 Friday, May 22, 2009 11:24 AM
Communication-as-a-Service (CaaS) 33
secure, adaptive work spaces throughout any organization. This allows a
company’s workers, partners, vendors, and customers to communicate and
collaborate more effectively. Better communication allows organizations to
adapt quickly to market changes and to build competitive advantage. CaaS
can also accelerate decision making within an organization. Innovative uni-
fied communications capabilities (such as presence, instant messaging, and
rich media services) help ensure that information quickly reaches whoever
needs it.
Flexible Capacity and Feature Set
When customers outsource communications services to a CaaS provider,
they pay for the features they need when they need them. The service pro-
vider can distribute the cost services and delivery across a large customer
base. As previously stated, this makes the use of shared feature functionality
more economical for customers to implement. Economies of scale allow ser-
vice providers enough flexibility that they are not tied to a single vendor
investment. They are able to leverage best-of-breed providers such as Avaya,
Cisco, Juniper, Microsoft, Nortel and ShoreTel more economically than any
independent enterprise.
No Risk of Obsolescence
Rapid technology advances, predicted long ago and known as Moore’s law,
2
have brought about product obsolescence in increasingly shorter periods of
time. Moore’s law describes a trend he recognized that has held true since
the beginning of the use of integrated circuits (ICs) in computing hardware.
Since the invention of the integrated circuit in 1958, the number of transis-
tors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit has increased
exponentially, doubling approximately every two years.
Unlike IC components, the average life cycles for PBXs and key com-
munications equipment and systems range anywhere from five to 10 years.
With the constant introduction of newer models for all sorts of technology
(PCs, cell phones, video software and hardware, etc.), these types of prod-
ucts now face much shorter life cycles, sometimes as short as a single year.
CaaS vendors must absorb this burden for the user by continuously
upgrading the equipment in their offerings to meet changing demands in
the marketplace.
2. Gordon E. Moore, “Cramming More Components onto Integrated Circuits,”
Electronics
Magazine,
4, 1965, retrieved 1 Jan 2009.
Chap2.fm Page 33 Friday, May 22, 2009 11:24 AM
..................Content has been hidden....................
You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.