• This thing we call the Internet, that actually works flawlessly now

• High speed networks and broadband that are just about everywhere and pretty darn cost-effective

• Server virtualization that has dramatically brought down the cost of powerful computing

Now, massive and extremely cost-effective data centers around the world are hosting all the software driving all these services. And businesses of all types and sizes, including their mobile workforce, can access these data centers delivering their favorite XaaS over reliable and affordable high-speed network.

So how many different flavors of XaaS exist? I can count around 10 off the top of my head—but there seems to be new services popping up all the time. More importantly, what are the benefits of XaaS? IaaS can have different benefits than PaaS; IaaS and PaaS can have different benefits than SaaS. But at 10,000 feet, the benefits of all of these include:

• OPEX vs CAPEX spending

• In many cases, lower TCO

• Smaller companies can have cost-effective access to F500 technologies

• Emergence of many, many new technologies and applications being developed

• Technologies that are now scalable up and down based on your needs

• Access to technologies and applications by mobile workforce and end-users

• Increased time to benefit from technologies and applications

Why don’t we all just get rid of all the XaaS and settle on one acronym—we can call it TaaS for Technology-as-a-Service. That would encompass all the technologies that any SMB needs to run their business—and deliver all the benefits of cloud for positive business outcomes.

This post appeared previously on the SBT Partners blog.