Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) technology covers cloud-based storage, hardware, servers, network components and other products that businesses can outsource to support their operations. Customers pay IaaS providers, often through a pay-as-you-go pricing model, to facilitate their computing infrastructure via the cloud, rather than hosting it onsite.
What Is IaaS?
IaaS is one of the three major types of cloud computing service. Customers pay IaaS providers to host their IT infrastructure and use cloud technology to deliver storage, networking and other critical computing resources over the internet.
This arrangement comes with a number of benefits. Because nothing is located on-site, IaaS providers allow companies and organizations to escape the headaches of housing, operating and maintaining equipment. IaaS cuts costs, too, as it eliminates the need for expensive IT equipment and large IT staff. With IaaS, the scalability potential for rapidly growing companies is almost infinite. Not to mention accessibility is greatly improved.
IaaS is one of three primary types of cloud computing service:
- IaaS (infrastructure as a service) centers around delivering IT infrastructure for key computing components like servers and data storage.
- SaaS (software as a service) provides cloud-based software to their customers.
- PaaS (platform as a service) provides a cloud environment for app development and deployment.
To give you a sense of the IaaS landscape, we rounded up a list of the top IaaS cloud computing providers that help businesses save money and time while they grow.
24 IaaS Providers to Know
1. DigitalOcean
Location: New York, New York
IaaS features: Software developers use DigitalOcean to deploy and scale their applications without worrying about managing infrastructure. The company offers scalable compute services, managed databases and much more.
2. Red Hat
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
IaaS features: Red Hat provides OS platform applications, management solutions and many other services. The company's enterprise Linux operating system platform is for use in hybrid cloud environments, and its satellite system management product facilitates hybrid cloud deployment, scaling and management.
3. Verizon
Location: New York, New York
IaaS features: Verizon’s IaaS product is flexible and scalable, with colocation and hybrid solutions, managed hosting options and other tools to help businesses streamline operations, improve customer experiences and expand e-commerce opportunities.
4. IBM
Location: Armonk, New York
IaaS features: IBM Cloud’s hybrid cloud infrastructure services help facilitate flexibility and portability for applications and data. Its public and private cloud servers are configurable by the month or hour, and can supply and scale on demand.
5. Microsoft
Location: Redmond, Washington
IaaS features: Microsoft Azure IaaS provides highly scalable bare-metal infrastructure and offers a broad set of hybrid capabilities for applications, data, identity, security and management across on-premises and cloud environments.
6. Google
Location: Mountain View, California
IaaS features: Google Compute Engine provides scalable, high-performance virtual machines that boot quickly and offer persistent disk storage. Its features include predefined machine types, custom machine types, Linux and Windows support and container support.
7. Rackspace Technology
Location: Mountain View, California
IaaS features: Google Compute Engine provides scalable, high-performance virtual machines that boot quickly and offer persistent disk storage. Its features include predefined machine types, custom machine types, Linux and Windows support and container support.
8. VMware
Location: Palo Alto, California
IaaS features: VMware’s many services include the VMware Cloud Foundation platform, which provides storage, compute and networking. It provides customers with enterprise-level security flexible deployment options.
9. Citrix
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
IaaS features: Citrix Cloud’s IaaS service lets users quickly deploy secure digital workspaces on a public or private cloud. Its features include virtual apps and desktops, endpoint management and content collaboration.
10. Navisite
Location: Andover, Massachusetts
IaaS features: Navisite provides cloud infrastructure and hosting services for businesses that want to outsource IT infrastructures. Its solutions have been used by the manufacturing, life sciences, healthcare and cannabis industries.
11. Deft
Location: Chicago, Illinois
IaaS features: Deft provides infrastructure management and support through its flexible cloud migration methodology that lets users move from traditional server environments to their choice of private or public clouds.
12. OpenStack
Location: Fully remote
IaaS features: OpenStack is a free and open-source cloud computing platform that provides on-demand tools, including virtual servers, data storage and networking resources.
13. CloudSigma
Location: Palo Alto, California
IaaS features: CloudSigma provides an array of cloud computing resources, including servers, "digital energy" and data storage. The company describes its IaaS offering as “a proprietary cloud stack that channels raw computing power in the most effective way.”
14. INAP
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
IaaS features: INAP provides highly scalable infrastructure services — including cloud IaaS, dedicated hosting and managed cloud solutions — to a wide range of companies and organizations.
15. IronOrbit
Location: Anaheim Hills, California
IaaS features: IronOrbit operates a nationwide network of separate data centers that safeguard users’ important data via round-the-clock server support and maintenance. The company’s data centers in more than 20 regions across the world are equipped with more than 5,000 terabytes of storage.
16. Hyve Solutions
Location: Fremont, California
IaaS features: A division of Synnex, Hyve Solutions designs and deploys cost-effective and energy-efficient rack-level servers, storage and networking solutions that are customized based on a user's specific needs.
17. Togglebox
Location: Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
IaaS features: A TekTonic brand, Togglebox provides high-performance, customizable cloud hosting powered by the OnApp Cloud and Storpool SANs. Its support services include initial setup, minor software updates, server performance tuning and live 24/7 chat.
18. VEXXHOST
Location: Fully remote
IaaS features: With the goals of reducing expenses and increasing productivity, OpenStack-affiliated VEXXHOST works with customers to help design, build and optimize their cloud infrastructure.
19. LayerStack
Location: Hong Kong
IaaS features: With data centers in Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Los Angeles, LayerStack offers high-performance cloud service that’s built on OpenStack's redundant platform. Benefits include one-click OS Installation, root administrator access and a feature-rich control panel with lots of graphic-interface options.
20. GigeNET
Location: Hong Kong
IaaS features: With data centers in Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Los Angeles, LayerStack offers high-performance cloud service that’s built on OpenStack's redundant platform. Benefits include one-click OS Installation, root administrator access and a feature-rich control panel with lots of graphic-interface options.
21. Alibaba Cloud
Location: Hangzhou, China
IaaS features: Alibaba Cloud provides pay-as-you-go cloud computing and data management services that include storage, processing and content delivery networks. Casio, Sephora, HP China, Duolingo and Ford have been among Alibaba Cloud’s customers.
22. Amazon Web Services
Location: Seattle, Washington
IaaS features: Amazon Web Services has been offering digital infrastructure services to businesses since 2006. Its solutions are meant to reduce IT workload, save money and deliver faster results. The AWS Cloud is available in more than 30 geographic regions across the globe.
23. Linode
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
IaaS features: Linode, an Akamai company, provides cloud computing and hosting solutions with “a developer-friendly and massively-distributed platform to build, run, and secure cloud workloads.” The Akamai Cloud Global Network spans 135 countries.
24. Vultr
Location: West Palm Beach, Florida
IaaS features: Vultr uses its advanced cloud platform to simplify infrastructure deployment, offering a marketplace of one-click apps and a control panel for secure management. The company has served more than 1.5 million customers with data centers in 30 different locations worldwide.
