Cloud service broker

Introduction

Cloud service broker service provides a bridge between cloud service providers and the consumers. These brokers help the companies in selecting the services that best suits their business. They also help in the installing and integration of application across many clouds. Cloud service broker is the one who manages the utility, performance and hosting of cloud services. They also help in the negotiation of the provider and cloud consumer relationship.  With many cloud vendor options, the end users have the freedom to move from one platform to another. Cloud brokerage platform like ComputeNext offers services like migration, API management and Virtual machine portability.

The broker’s job simply saves the purchaser’s time by suggesting him with right service that best suits his business. To understand the needs of the customer, the Cloud service broker work with the customer in order to get to know the needs, process, budget and data management specifications. At the end the broker provides the short listed catalog of various cloud vendors.

Services of cloud brokers

In three categories the cloud broker provides service:

·         Service intermediation- in this service the cloud broker enhances the provided service. The enhancement is simply done by providing an extra service or by improving existing specific functionality like access to cloud services, enhanced security, performance, auditing, reporting, identity management, etc.

·         Service aggregation- the Cloud service broker combines and integrates many services into one or more services. Say the broker provides API and user interface which are combined and given to the customer, as if both being got from single vendor. In this service the broker gives integration of data and ensures security of movement of data between the customer and multiple cloud providers.

·         Service arbitrage- in this case the broker has the flexibility to select which service is to be taken from which provider. This service is very much similar to the service aggregation except that services that are combined are not fixed.

Benefits of Cloud service broker

                Few benefits are

·         Brokers save time

·         They can negotiate the budget too

·         Perform perfect desired integration of multi services

·         Cloud portability is done smoothly between cloud vendors

·         They make use of different data models within the multiple cloud vendors

·         Business is increases, as dependency on single cloud vendor is reduced

The cloud brokers evolve as an important factor in the cloud computing system. Based on whether it is private cloud, public cloud, hybrid cloud or community cloud, the brokers can extend their services.