Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) has been the most influential revolution to IT solutions. In the cloud computing stack, it is one step beneath Platform as a Service (PaaS) and two steps beneath Software as a Service (SaaS).

IaaS is a provision model of cloud, wherein enterprises can outsource the required equipment for smooth running of various IT operations, including storage, hardware, servers and networks. The vendors own all fundamental equipment and are wholly and solely responsible for their accommodation, operation and maintenance. Users have to pay for the services typically as per the pay-as-you-use model.

According to recent reports by Gartner, IaaS is expected to realize a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41.3% through 2016. And, an increased level of spending will be done by businesses on infrastructure-related services in coming years.

Let's have a closer look at key benefits of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Cloud Computing Model:

-   Scalability and flexibility: One of the most compelling benefits of IaaS is the ability to scale in and out quickly in response to an enterprise's varying business requirements. The vendor usually owns highly sophisticated and most powerful storage, servers and networking technology to accommodate the requirements of their clients.

This on-demand scalability provides additional level of flexibility and improved agility to easily adapt and respond to changing requirements. This is principally useful in initiating and tearing down test and development environments, which to a great extent benefit from augmented speed and agility.

-   Accelerates time to market: Undoubtedly, these days competition in the market is cut throat in every sector; and time to market is one of the best ways to stay ahead of the curve. Since IaaS provides elasticity and scalability, businesses can build up and get the required task completed more rapidly.

-   Instant Support for DR, BC and high availability: While every organization strategies a disaster recovery plan, however the technology used behind those plans is often expensive and unmanageable. Organizations with different locations often have varied disaster recovery and business continuity plans and technologies, thereby making management process virtually unfeasible.

IaaS provides a consolidated disaster recovery infrastructure, which furthermore drastically reduces CAPEX and increases manageability. If any catastrophe strikes unexpectedly, employees can access the same infrastructure they have always accessed through an Internet-enabled device anytime, anywhere.

-   Room for business growth: Perhaps, the time, money and energy spent on taking up the desired technology decisions and in recruitment of expert personnel for the management and maintenance of the IT infrastructure is not spent on augmenting business growth. Hence, by moving infrastructure to a service-based model, businesses can focus their time and resources on development and innovations of next-generation applications and optimal solutions.

-   Utility Model: This has been considered most obvious benefit of the IaaS model. Interestingly, the organizations no longer have to get worried about uptime, hardware and networking equipment replacement and maintenance. Through this pricing model, they just have to pay for the capacity used by them at any given time. The IaaS model demands no upfront investment, bandwidth utilization charges or minimum term commitment.

In a nutshell, cloud IaaS is highly resilient and economical relatively to conventional IT solutions. There are numerous other benefits of IaaS like instant deployment and seamless migration. Embrace this new emerging technology as it the gateway to countless opportunities in this day and age.