What is Storage as a Service?

What is Storage as a Service (STaaS)?

Every day, businesses worldwide process $2 billion in transactions. More than $9 trillion transacted annually are digital, showing how valuable digital transformations are to modern business.   Powering modern businesses are managed services, such as Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Storage as a Service (STaaS).    Understanding the differences is critical to building a tech stack that works for your teams while also helping business leaders manage expenses.    Today we talk about Storage as a Service (STaaS). STaaS is a managed service where a service provider maintains a physical data center that supports clients with storage space and computing resources.   STaaS is a more cost-effective method of deploying storage resources, especially for SMEs, than on-premises storage infrastructures. This article explores why businesses are implementing STaaS, some of the benefits, and how the whole thing works. 

Why Implement STaaS?

Data storage has always been a costly yet vital expense for all sizes of businesses. STaaS initially found a home in SME operations, where leaders need data storage and computing resources but don’t have a massive budget for on-premises storage solutions.    While SMEs were the target of STaaS, today, even large enterprise-level organizations benefit from cloud storage services. Businesses of all types use STaaS as redundant storage systems, a secure platform for data transfers and disaster recovery.    Decision makers and managers use STaaS to deploy resources that replace on-premises storage solutions instantly. They may also use it as a way to customize workloads and storage capacities for specific departments, allocating resources where they are in need.    STaaS may not be an ideal storage solution for the largest or most resource-heavy organizations. These organizations demand high-performance storage infrastructure with total customizability, ultra-low or no latency resources, and complex file access methods.    Storage solutions from several providers like Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services (AWS) can come with significant drawbacks, like shared server space or noisy neighbors.    Remove those drawbacks by partnering with a service provider that values performance. Summit Hosting’s data storage comes with dedicated servers and less than 1% downtime. Try a demo today to see how Summit Hosting beats out the big names! 

What are the Benefits of STaaS?

Managing expenses is always challenging, and many leaders are turning to tech for help saving money. Like other managed services, STaaS is a tool that can save businesses money on expenses through a subscription-based model. Companies undergoing a digital transformation to cloud services and cloud storage can see these benefits:   

• High-level backup and recovery – A service provider includes data backup and recovery services as part of a service level agreement (SLA). A STaaS provider can assist with backup and recovery through on-staff IT operations, redundant storage resources, and high-speed data transfers to expedite disaster recovery.

 

• Exceptional scalability – On-site data centers are arduous to scale when your business needs more resources. Using STaaS for your storage infrastructure means you can scale on-demand, letting the provider manage components and heavy lifting without on-site equipment. 

 

• Optimizes storage to be cost-effective – Storage resources aren’t cheap, but through STaaS, storage costs don’t have to be prohibitively expensive. Through SLAs and monthly operations expenses, you can avoid bulk cap-ex charges that eat away at profit while maintaining optimized performance. 

 

• Improved security – Your storage provider has a vested interest in keeping your data safe. That means up-to-date security features and equipment to ensure maximum data protection. At Summit Hosting, we provide multi-factor authentication (MFA), virtual private networks (VPNs), EV SSL encryption, and servers that are SSAE-18 certified, just to name a few security protocols. 

  Security is just the tip of the iceberg when you look at the benefits of a Summit Hosting partnership over the competition. We provide access to data storage and apps on iOS, PC, or Android devices, have 24/7/365 human support, and limitless growth. Still not sold? Check out all our features to learn how Summit Hosting is the perfect cloud services provider!

How Does STaaS Work?

Like other managed service models, like SaaS, STaaS requires businesses to subscribe to a storage space package with an SLA that charges companies by month, quarter, or year. Third-party providers then supply storage systems and data services through remote access from centralized servers.    Using bulk STaaS services, businesses can purchase set amounts of storage space in bulk, sort of how an iCloud subscription allows users to buy extra memory for a monthly fee. However, pricing for bulk storage is typically higher than pay-as-you-go models. Alternatively, businesses can use the pay-as-you-go system, which charges predetermined rates for storage, allowing you to only pay for what you use. For many companies, this method is the more cost-effective model. Let’s take a look at how managed service providers store data for STaaS setups.

Block Storage

Block storage management involves breaking data into pieces and distributing them across the system in the most efficient way for devices to recall. A block storage system performs similarly to how your computer’s hard drive or SSD functions, allowing easy retrieval of files. Block storage is handy for files or applications that users access frequently. While immediate access to key files is practical, block storage can be an expensive STaaS solution. 

File Storage

Using a file system storage model allows users to organize files as a navigable directory, similar to how data management is on a PC or public cloud infrastructure, like Amazon’s AWS, Microsoft OneDrive, or Google cloud. File storage is excellent for simple data storage hierarchies because teams can navigate and collaborate on workflows in a cloud environment. Syncing teams using cloud computing and storage via file storage can be beneficial, but it has drawbacks. Upgrading and scaling a file storage system is particularly challenging, as the more layers you add to the directory, the more complex it is to navigate and manage.

Object-Based Storage

Object storage is ideal for APIs, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). It organizes data by adding meta information so users can rapidly find it. An object-based storage system is cost-effective and simple to scale. You can add additional data, files, or apps without adding navigational complexities. It’s best suited for massive amounts of archival data or infrequently accessed information. Businesses love object-based storage because they are typically the least expensive STaaS solution. Companies that need a hybrid-cloud data management solution can store non-essential data in cloud-based systems while maintaining mission-critical info on-site.

Purchase Secure Hosted Storage from Summit Hosting

Businesses worldwide are using managed services to build a comprehensive tech stack solution without decimating corporate budgets. These managed services include Storage as a Service (STaaS), which allows companies to offload data and files to a third-party provider.   Companies enjoy several benefits by shifting storage to a hosted storage solution. These benefits range from scalability to cost efficiency and prove to be major selling points for organizations shifting away from on-premises data centers.  If you’re interested in learning more about STaaS and the benefits it can bring your business, our experts can share even more about Summit Hosting’s fantastic storage solution options. Request a quote today to see how affordable STaaS can be!