Staying competitive in today’s market means keeping up with the sheer amount of data and applications that your business and other companies are generating. Succeeding in this requires adopting a simple approach to efficiently delivering application services to consumers. Decision-makers or application developers have a choice between cloud services vs. web services for this purpose, but it might not be immediately clear which model is the right one.
Key Takeaways:
- Cost-efficiency is a key consideration; cloud services require consistent long-term expenses, whereas web services require significant upfront investments.
- The cloud service model is a favorable option in terms of accessibility as cloud-based applications are not completely reliant on web-browsers.
- All cloud apps are web based but not all web apps are cloud based.
- Choosing a service type also means considering how prepared the organization will be for transitioning to a cloud native future.
Making the right choice is a matter of understanding the fundamentals of cloud services as well as web services and how the implementation of one over the other can benefit the enterprise.
What are cloud services vs. web services?
Cloud services are those hosted by a third-party provider, while web services function based on direct back-and-forth communication. The clear similarity between the two service types is that they are both available over the internet.Therefore, the end user might have no way of knowing if the service they are using is a cloud service or web service.
When comparing cloud services vs. web services, it is important to keep in mind that cloud services are available on demand immediately, so long as the cloud infrastructure itself is online and healthy, whereas web services require a response from the service provider before the end user can access them.The cloud allows for access to data and apps from anywhere. Cloud services accomplish tasks by utilizing external resources through third-party hosting.
For organizations deciding between cloud services vs. web services in their application or service deployment strategy, there are three key considerations to keep in mind regarding these service types.
1. Cost
The matter of costs is often the first hurdle that organizations will cross when deciding whether to follow a web service model. Companies looking to release an application or service on the web without the use of a third-party cloud platform must take on the effort of supporting that application on their own servers.
Infrastructure that is strictly on-premises requires a significant upfront investment of hardware, as well as taking on the responsibility of maintaining that hardware and guaranteeing application availability for the end user.
Adopting a cloud service approach gives an organization access to the infrastructure it needs as a subscription-based service. This can significantly mitigate the upfront investment and empower efficient scaling as needed.
Another cost-efficiency consideration in the cloud services vs. web services decision is the need for in-house specialists. Using cloud services can cut down on the required amount of dedicated specialists a company must employ in the datacenter.
2. Accessibility
Services cannot meet goals or expectations if internal teams and target users are unable to access them. When it comes to cloud services, users only need a computer with a compatible operating system and a network connection to get access.
Cloud services detach computing capabilities from hardware components, making it possible for the user to access services despite the limitations of their own device. The ease of access to cloud services, as well as their inherent flexibility, also allows for efficient remote work.
This abstraction of software from hardware in cloud services vs. web services is possible through virtualization and virtual machines. When the cloud provider has an effective hypervisor to manage those virtual machines, the user experience improves.
Nutanix AHV provides a full-featured modern hypervisor that supports the hybrid cloud in a way the competition cannot match. Not only does AHV enable simplified access to cloud services, but it also simplifies management via an optimized UI and a unified control plane.
3. Cloud native development
The trend toward cloud native development is a particularly important factor when considering cloud services vs web services. Gartner forecasts that end-user spending on public cloud services will grow 21.7% in 2023 to a total of $597.3 billion, making an opportunity for companies willing to transition to the cloud native future.
Cloud services make it easier to adopt cloud-native development practices and provide the flexibility of working in the cloud. With so many organizations migrating to the cloud for development and other daily operations, embracing similar cloud native practices is a way of future-proofing one’s business.
Cloud native applications focus on microservices, an architecture made possible through containerization on a Kubernetes engine. Leaders contemplating cloud services vs. web services should consider how best to utilize powerful containerization technology.
The Nutanix Kubernetes Engine (NKE) is a complete and simple solution for cloud native enterprises that does not require vendor lock-in. Through a streamlined deployment process, NKE consumers can configure Kubernetes clusters in their cloud native development environments in a matter of mere days.
For a deeper dive at how mixed infrastructure affects cloud costs, take a look at the 5th Annual Enterprise Cloud Index.
A solution in the cloud services vs. web services debate
Even though using web services does not entail a “pay as you go” expense model, deploying cloud services is the right solution for many organizations due to the lower upfront costs and the overwhelming benefits of utilizing the cloud in modern IT operations.
Nutanix cloud services empower enterprises to build their cloud environments, drive application mobility, and tap into the power of cloud native application development, all from a single operating system that spans the entire cloud ecosystem.
Even those operating in a multicloud environment containing clouds from multiple vendors can manage the whole network from a single accessible control plane built for simplicity. There is little room for doubt in considering cloud services vs. web services when a cloud transition can be such a simple and forward-thinking strategy.
Learn more about the role of hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) in powering hybrid clouds and cloud services as well as additional benefits of cloud native computing.
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