Cloud Computing

What is CLOUD COMPUTING?

By Sam Johnston, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6080417

Over the past decade, on both consumer and enterprise level there has been an explosive growth in cloud computing. It’s no longer a question of whether a company will undergo a cloud transformation. Rather, what services and operations should be transferred into the cloud.The consumers are already using cloud computing when they are on their social media accounts.

Cloud

The word “cloud” here is a metaphor for the internet or a network where the servers are located somewhere remotely. The cloud could be on public or private networks, connected either through a LAN, WAN, or VPN. When you use free email applications like Gmail, Hotmail, Outlook or Yahoo Mail, you are actually running on the cloud. You could download the emails and attachments to keep them on your devices. Otherwise, your content remains on the remote network servers till you or the providers remove them.

 

Computing

Cloud computing is about:

  1. a) accessing or storing information data,
  2. b) managing, processing or communicating information through the software and hardware on remote servers. The application, the data storage and the infrastructure all remain online on remote servers.

 

Cloud computing as SAAS, IAAS and PAAS

Cloud computing is an online computing model that allows for the use of computing resources, such as servers or applications, without the need for much interaction between the owner of these resources and the users using them. Cloud computing is often offered as a service making it an example of Software as a Service (SAAS), Platforms as a Service (PAAS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IAAS) depending on what functionality is offered.

 

The main characteristics of cloud computing include on-demand access, broad network access, the potential and convenience of rapid scaling. Cloud computing is conserving energy by allowing millions of computations to occur on one or more server networks instead of thousands of individual computing machines.

 

However, cloud computing being done from a centralized location has its own challenges. One of the major ones is security. With cloud computing, the companies might not disclose what data they have on you, where it’s being kept, or how they are using the data. Many laws in most countries are not yet equipped to handle these circumstances. Hopefully in the near future, that may change as politicians may want to regulate cloud computing and protect the privacy of users. 

 

Cloud computing for you

Cloud computing is also a way for individual users or small businesses to benefit from economies of scale. Currently the cloud computing infrastructure is advancing very rapidly to benefit individuals and groups ranging from small or medium businesses to huge global conglomerates and governments to get the computing power they need to run their operations. Cloud computing may answer a lot of the world’s issues today and in the future.

 

Cloud computing has benefited our business world in many ways. Here are some of the benefits.

 

1.Improve our operations and productivity.

Cloud computing enables us to scale our computing solutions as we grow while at the same time we are able to respond to global clients efficiently through the cloud networks.

2.Store our data safely in the cloud.

We store our data safely on the Google Cloud Platform, relying on their high level of world class security measures in place. Read more on Google security report here.

3.Save our infrastructure costs.

We did not have to invest in servers, expensive software costs or furniture, let alone real estate assets as we are able to work from homes or from any cafes in our neighbourhoods as long as we have access to the cloud.

4.Increase mobility and flexible workplace.

Cloud computing has enabled us to work from anywhere, from homes, restaurants, beaches or on the go, with any devices from laptops, desktops, tablets and smartphones. This is a huge benefit. 

 

Are you willing and ready to try cloud computing today? We are recommending the Google Cloud Platform. Try it by clicking below for a FREE 14 day trial.

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