Managed Cloud Service

The application of cloud technology is extremely extensive. The so-called cloud service is a general term for network services that combine the needs of "cloud storage", "cloud computing", Internet and business operations.

With cloud services, enterprises access remote servers set up by cloud platform operators through network connections, and directly obtain resources, such as storage space, operating environment, and software applications, and then adopt more diverse and advanced service applications, such as virtual machine, containerized microservice, hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI), AI and machine learning (ML), IoT smart applications, etc.

• Public Cloud

The third-party cloud service platform sets up the open-resource space, and provides powerful and diverse application services, allowing enterprises to rent and use at any time without having to bear the maintenance of the underlying structure and system. At present, the three public cloud services with the highest market share are Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Service (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), all of which are commonly used by enterprises.

• Private Cloud

A private cloud is a cloud host that is set up by the enterprise itself, or a third-party cloud provider provides infrastructure to establish a cloud service for internal use. Its data security, privacy, and autonomy are higher than public clouds, but relatively, the construction and maintenance cost is also high.

• Hybrid Cloud

It is a relatively flexible cloud architecture environment, which uses the public cloud environment and private cloud environment or on-premise environment at the same time. It can not only use the private cloud to control and manage highly sensitive data but also use the computing resources of the public cloud for development and testing. Hybrid mode is also commonly used to refer to the information environment architecture that uses both local and cloud.

In addition to technical issues, there are usually many considerations for enterprises to migrate to the cloud, such as data management audit requirements, industry regulatory requirements, customer requirements, cost structure changes, and even operational development strategies. Taking into account many practical conditions, at present, enterprises migrating to the cloud mostly use the hybrid cloud architecture, retaining the control of the internal environment or private cloud, and taking advantage of the resource efficiency of the public cloud to take the step of transformation. The advantages are:

• High efficiency, flexible allocation of resources and costs
• Good scalability, quick response to business needs

• Diversify risks, reduce dependence on a single platform, and improve operational resilience

Although the hybrid cloud architecture may be the best solution for most enterprises, due to the high difficulty of resource management, high integration technology requirements, and complex information security issues, it is recommended that enterprises seek experts with cloud practice experience and third-party technical certification to assist in the assessment.

Due to the complex basic knowledge and technical requirements of the cloud, it is generally difficult for enterprises to import and manage it solely by their own information team.

Therefore, in addition to the well-known cloud platform providers, such as Azure, AWS, GCP, IBM and other public cloud vendors, partners, such as CSP or MSP are also required to provide extensive and in-depth technical support to assist enterprises to continue the cloud use with the lowest cost risk and the highest structural efficiency, and keep the cloud secure.

The Freedom Systems carry a number of CSP technical certifications, which can help enterprises:

• Design, build, and manage cloud architectures, including hybrid or multi-cloud architectures, based on business goals and information requirements
• Assist in evaluating and migrating enterprise workloads, applications and data from local to cloud, including public cloud or SaaS
• Manage IT-related services from the cloud to the local to ensure unimpeded daily use and operation
• Overlay security protection, establish an end-to-end information security structure and provide information security supervision services

• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)：

Enterprises still need to manage and configure most of the infrastructure by themselves, and only use the Server, Storage, Virtualization, etc. provided and managed by the cloud platform.

• PaaS (Platform as a Service)：

Enterprises can directly obtain the execution environment or development environment, use the platform computing resources and tools provided by the cloud provider, and develop, test or build their own applications by themselves. For example: Azure SQL Database.

• SaaS (Software as a Service)：

Enterprises can obtain the latest cloud resources and applications by paying a monthly subscription. Since software resources are set up on the cloud, there is no need for installation or manual updates. It is more convenient for modern workers to log in and collaborate in cross-device and cross-region scenarios, making it easier to integrate security protection while ensuring convenience. For example: Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, VMware are all common SaaS services.

• ITaaS (IT as a Service)：

Recently, the as-a-service is in a growing trend. Many technology providers have identified the needs of enterprises for "services", and are committed to launching various one-stop integrated services based on the "subscription system". The "IT as a Service" service model pioneered by the Freedom Systems is a one-stop information managed service. Enterprises can obtain all IT resources in one stop through subscription and payment, and find a solution to all information management costs from assessment, importation, maintenance and operation to consulting.

Generally speaking, since the local self-built environment must be managed by the enterprise itself, the risk is higher and it is easier to be attacked by attackers.

In addition to the threat of information security attacks that enterprises are most worried about, improper maintenance and operation of software, firmware, or hardware, lack of information security supervision, or environmental factors, such as power outages, wind disasters, and human error are common information security risks and potential cost in traditional internal environments.

In contrast, it is extremely difficult for attackers to break into the data centers of the three major providers of Microsoft Azure, AWS, and GCP. Cloud service providers have also proposed Shared responsibility model, enterprises only need to pay monthly subscription fees based on usage, and strengthen end-to-end security protection in the application, the overall cost is lower and more flexible than self-built information security from the local.