Managed Hosted Services from CadreTech
By Daryl Grove · May 18, 2022 · 4 min read
Managed Hosted Services from CadreTech
Meridian IT & Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
Cadre has partnered with Meridian IT to offer managed hosted services, also known as infrastructure as a Service (Iaas).
This arrangement has many economic and operational benefits to companies who want to lighten their IT load. It allows companies to start with a smaller investment and scale up as business grows.
Meridian IT hosts Cadence, Accuplus and LogiView. The company has excelled in their professionalism, responsiveness and persistence for identifying problems before they occur.
What are the Benefits of IaaS?
First and foremost, customers benefit from a vastly improved infrastructure that backs the servers. It’s a stark contrast to what most companies can build themselves. Startups and even companies that have been around for a while may have their servers in a closet, which really doesn’t offer a secure environment for critical data. From security to infrastructure, HVAC to backup, there are a number of elements a proven data center offers that companies simply can’t afford on their own.
Flexibility: Infrastructure as a service addresses the changing requirements of a business. It allows a company to eliminate upgrades, obsolete equipment and scaling issues as it adopts new technology. It is cost effective and convenient. Large platforms of equipment are available through the hosting centers which are segmented for each customer and can expand and contract with business volume.
The Bottom Line: One of the most significant impacts of IaaS to the bottom line of a business is the savings in labor costs including associated taxes and benefits. IaaS is cost effective because there is no need for periodic larger investments in upgrading hardware, providing facilities and dedicated infrastructure staffing.
As environmental consciousness becomes a mandatory part of every business model, IaaS helps the green initiative by addressing power utilization requirements and by handling other matters such as the proper disposal of old hardware. Some businesses may even qualify for tax breaks by adopting IaaS.
Implementation Consistency: The platform is designed for Cadence, Accuplus and LogiView. This helps with a proper configuration without variances in hardware specification.
Focus: IaaS allows IT to shift focus on innovation and solutions instead of infrastructure. Maintaining the platform is typically not a core competency within a warehouse business.
Reliability: The reduced down time of IaaS, its security and application in disaster recovery plans, and its responsiveness mean that businesses gain through the availability of more time. The cost of downtime and potential charge-backs (including penalties by companies like Walmart) can be devastating.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between IaaS and traditional on-premise hosting?
IaaS provides virtualized computing resources over the internet, while traditional on-premise hosting requires you to own and maintain physical servers on-site. With IaaS, you get professional data center infrastructure including security, HVAC, and backup systems without the capital investment. You also benefit from scalability and expert management that most companies can’t afford to build themselves.
How quickly can I scale my infrastructure with hosted services?
Hosted services allow for rapid scaling since the infrastructure is already in place at the data center. You can typically expand or contract your resources within hours or days rather than weeks or months. This flexibility eliminates the need to purchase new hardware, wait for delivery, and handle installation when your business needs change.
What happens to my data if the hosting provider experiences downtime?
Professional hosting providers like Meridian IT implement robust backup and redundancy systems to minimize downtime risk. They typically offer service level agreements (SLAs) guaranteeing uptime percentages and have disaster recovery procedures in place. This level of protection is usually far superior to what individual companies can maintain with their own server closets.
Is hosted infrastructure more secure than keeping servers in-house?
Yes, professional data centers typically provide much better security than in-house solutions. They offer physical security, environmental controls, fire suppression, redundant power systems, and expert monitoring that most companies cannot afford independently. Many businesses currently store critical data in unsecured closets, which poses significant security and operational risks.
What ongoing costs should I expect with managed hosting services?
Managed hosting typically involves predictable monthly fees based on your resource usage and service level requirements. This eliminates large capital expenditures for hardware purchases, facility upgrades, and dedicated IT staff salaries with benefits. The cost structure helps with budgeting and often results in overall savings compared to maintaining equivalent infrastructure internally.
