Does Your XaaS Host Make You Feel Welcome? | Don't let them take advantage of you ... |
Posted by Pritesh Ganatra on 21/12/2021 @ 8:00AM It seems that everything is defined with a suffix of 'as a service' these days. For example, 'Software as a Service' (SaaS), 'Hardware as a Service' (HaaS), 'Platform as a Service' (PaaS) and even 'Infrastructure as a service' (IaaS), to name but a few ... When it comes to XaaS you should always consult an independent adviser like myself! copyright: kantver / 123rf The other term you will come across almost daily is 'hosted solutions' or 'cloud solutions, be it in a Telecoms and/or an IT context. Allow me to burst the bubble on these industry terms - you may not have heard the terminologies, but the underlying concepts have been in existence for decades.
"Take 'Voice over IP' or VoIP for example!"
It's basically an off-site telephone system, accessed across the internet and giving you 90% of the features you would expect from any on-site phone system. The difference is, you do not 'buy' a controller ('a box') to go on the wall in the office, to which phones are connected.
Instead, you 'rent' a connection, across the internet and pay for each phone/handset that you want to be connected to your business. The system is 'hosted' by the 'platform' provider and is provided 'as a service'.
Pricing can vary from £5.00 per user per month, up to as much as £25.00 per user per month. There are currently over 70 commercial VoIP hosted system providers in the UK and you really do need an independent Telecoms specialist like me to understand your business and then find the right system to match your requirements!
You can purchase or rent the actual handsets on desks or opt for 'softphones', i.e. applications that sit on your desktop or an 'App' for your smartphone that is the 'office number'. Softphones are generally free and rely on a constant internet connection via Wi-Fi or 4g.
Microsoft 'Office 365' and 'Hosted Exchange' email are both essentially SaaS models and have a monthly subscription that gives you access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Sharepoint, OneDrive; depending on the annual fee you want to pay for the features you want. You can still 'buy' an 'Office' licence as a one-off purchase, but you don't get the continual updates that the SAAS model provides (i.e. Office 365 is always on the latest version).
"But again, get advice from an independent consultant!"
This goes the same for 'servers'. Do you buy a £15K Server or look towards a PaaS/IaaS model, i.e. connecting each work desktop/laptop to a 'hosted server' and paying a monthly license fee per device/person.
There is also, what we call in the industry, 'hybrid' models in the world of Telecoms and IT which is a mixture of some equipment/services on-site and some equipment/services off-site.
As Openreach, the part of BT who own and operate the UK's copper infrastructure, move towards a full-fibre model, rivals such as CityFibre, offer 1,000 times better internet which makes the whole 'X as a Service' model more viable in terms of accessibility, but like the old days of renting a TV, work out the Total Cost of Ownership (although you will never own any sort of XaaS solution).
Consult an independent adviser to understand your business first and work with them to design a product/service model that will suit your business in the most efficient way for you and your team!
Don't let your host take advantage of you, make sure your host makes you feel welcome. Until next time ...
PRITESH GANATRA
Would you like to know more? If anything I've written in this blog post resonates with you and you'd like to discover more about XaaS or moving your systems into the cloud, it may be a great idea to give me a call on 01604 926100 or take a look at my website which you can find by clicking here. About Pritesh Ganatra ... |  | | The word 'Technology' has too many connotations in today's world!
Where do we start? Simple terms like 'IT' and 'Telecoms'? or terms that appear NOT to have an actual meaning at all!, e.g. 'Internet of Things (IoT).
Technology also encompasses specialist products and services like 'Rugged' and 'Tough' android devices, Lone Worker Software, panic alarm devices, smart energy devices, low energy lighting, credit card terminal (PCI DSS) security, indoor/ outdoor Wi-Fi systems, Ultrafast Gigabit internet connectivity, access control systems, industrial IoT circuit controllers.
BTS UK can consult from simple solutions to the most complex, provide some of the products through a wholesale channel, bring together a multi-disciplined 'Task Force' to deliver and implement complete Technology 'projects'.
I am your technology problem solver and I look forward to helping you.
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