A Cloud Service Provider (CSP) is an entity that delivers various computing services—such as servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet. These cloud service providers enable businesses and individuals to utilise a wide array of computing resources, making it possible to scale services to meet growing workloads, while still offering flexible repayment models.

Traditionally, users would need to pay the high cost of maintaining and managing cloud computing services within their business’ own infrastructure, in order to meet high storage, computing, and networking needs. However, through rapid virtualisation and improvements in technology, it has become possible to rent cloud infrastructure from these providers. Users are able to save on the cost of rental and management, as maintenance is completely in the hands of CSPs.

There are two main categories in the Cloud Service Provider Market:

Public Cloud Provider

Public providers in the cloud infrastructure market are often OTT (Over-The-Top) companies such as AWS Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft, who have a pre-established network of data centers spread out across the world. These providers offer fully managed services, and in order to access them, the user must maintain a stable and resilient level of network connectivity, to receive consistent uptime and availability.

Private Cloud Provider

In contrast, private cloud providers cater to a smaller number of organisations. They have less resources, but are able to place more focus on enhancing security and control, which is vital for businesses with strict data privacy concerns or unique requirements. This hosting environment allows companies to achieve the agility and efficiency of the cloud, while maintaining greater control over their data and services.

How Do Cloud Service Providers Benefit Your Business?

Cloud service providers offer up a range of advantages that are integral to the modern digital economy.

Scalability: Through their services, companies gain access to scalable computing resources, enabling them to adjust their infrastructure based on current needs without the expense and complexity of on-premises hardware.

Flexibility: These providers also offer a level of flexibility that allows businesses to innovate and respond to market changes swiftly. It’s often easy to swap payment plans or make decisions when it involves a cloud computing service hosted by an outside provider. Many CSPs use a pay-as-you-go model, allowing users to adjust their usage and costs in accordance to their budgets.

Cost-Efficiency: From a financial perspective, cloud service providers can be much more cost-effective. Companies can move from capital-intensive purchasing models for IT hardware to operational expenditure for services. This shift improves budget predictability, and lead to a significant reduction in ongoing IT-related operational costs.

Security: Businesses in sensitive industries often have governance frameworks and regulations that they need to obey. By engaging a cloud service, they can have these needs met for them, without having to tailor and secure their on-premise equipment to fit these security requirements.

What Are Some Disadvantages Of Cloud Services?

While cloud computing brings substantial benefits to organisations, such as flexibility and scalability, there are challenges that need to be considered.

Data sovereignty

A critical factor that may concern companies is data sovereignty. This term refers to the fact that cloud service providers may store data in international servers. This means that data management is subject to laws and regulations that may differ from country to country. Many businesses take this into account when considering compliance requirements and the legalities around data access. Knowing where your data resides and managing risks associated with its legal status is essential for businesses utilising cloud services, especially those in finance or healthcare industries, who have to safeguard client information strongly.

Latency

Latency is an inherent concern associated with cloud computing, as the physical distance from the cloud provider’s data centres can induce delays. If a business requires rapid processing times, it may find that the time taken for data to travel to and from cloud servers results in a performance that does not meet their needs. This is particularly problematic for real-time applications such as physical infrastructure management or finance tracking.

However, it’s possible to overcome this issue by utilising SPTel’s Edge Cloud Computing.

SPTel’s Position as a Cloud Service Provider – Edge Cloud

SPTel differentiates itself in the cloud service market by offering Edge Cloud Computing services. Our Edge Cloud services enable data to be hosted on edge devices/hubs that are physically closer to your devices. This allows for ultra-low latency performance, and reduced bandwidth requirements, while still providing all the same benefits as a cloud service.

Our Edge Cloud Services come with a Cloud Orchestrator Platform: a dashboard that allows your business to manage multiple clouds and integrate numerous services through a single display dashboard. This level of flexibility and control makes it easier for your business to adapt to changing demands without compromising on efficiency.

Furthermore, SPTel offers true Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) capabilities. IaaS cloud service providers are known for providing on-demand access to computer resources and physical infrastructure. SPTel includes resources such as Bare Metal-as-a-Service, Virtual Machine-as-a-Service (VMaaS) and Container-as-a-Service (CaaS). Businesses can easily deploy virtual machines or containerised applications to meet their needs with predictable, optimised costs.

A significant part of SPTel’s cloud proposition is redundancy; with multiple edge hubs scattered throughout Singapore, businesses can rely on a robust network that offers backup for their selected edge locations. This redundancy ensures that critical applications remain online, providing a layer of security and resilience.

And lastly, unlike data storied in overseas servers, businesses who utilise SPTel’s Low-Latency Edge Cloud can rest easy knowing that all data is maintained within Singapore, providing data sovereignty and familiarity with regulations regarding cloud security.

Through tailored solutions, SPTel confidently establishes a place among cloud service providers, as a provisioner that understands the requirements that modern businesses have.

SPTel’s Position as a Direct Cloud Connect Provider (Public Cloud)

SPTel is able to leverage its low-latency network that utilises resilient and unique fibre paths, ensuring that outages and interference have minimal impact on a business. This supports resilient and secure direct connectivity to Public Cloud Providers such as AWS Azure and Google Cloud Platform.

We offer a variety of bandwidth options, starting from 50Mbps to 10Gbps. This range accommodates both small-scale users and enterprises with extensive bandwidth requirements, thus aligning with diverse needs and budgets.

One of the pivotal features of SPTel’s service is its 24/7 proactive monitoring, managed by our Integrated Operations Centre. This provides businesses with a dependable and rapid response for any service issues that may arise, ensuring high service reliability.

Additionally, SPTel showcases versatility in networking options that support customisable topology designs. Whether organisations require a straightforward point-to-point connection or a more intricate multi-site solution with a centralised cloud connection, SPTel possesses the expertise and infrastructure to build and manage these tailored solutions, showcasing our comprehensive approach to specific client requirements.

Whether It’s Public Cloud or Edge Cloud, SPTel has a solution for you

In today’s digital landscape, businesses require robust and flexible cloud solutions that cater to diverse needs. SPTel stands out as a provider of comprehensive cloud services, offering both public cloud connectivity and edge cloud solutions. Each caters to specific requirements, ensuring clients can select the option that aligns best with their operational demands.

Our direct Cloud Connect Services allow us to provide you with resiliency and security for your cloud connection. If you would like to have greater performance for your applications, SPTel’s Edge Cloud services are housed within trusted CII Infrastructure, granting you data sovereignity. And our network supports both cloud options for maximum uptime and multiple levels of redundancy, all while achieving <1ms ultra-low latency network performance.

Companies geared towards future growth should consider SPTel’s comprehensive cloud service offerings. For tailored solutions that align with your business objectives, reach out to SPTel and transform your digital infrastructure with our cutting-edge cloud services.