Cloud Computing - A One Stop for all necessities!
Cloud Computing - Understanding its core
Gone are days when people used to maintain a diary with everyone’s contact number in it. When people used to print out photographs from a reel. When information could only be saved in a notebook.
We’re living in the 21st a century where we not only occupy a physical presence but also a virtual one. We
all have smartphones with cameras and a million pictures. We don’t have to
remember any contact numbers; we can simply save them on our phones.
No need to buy hard copies of books as
kindle editions and pdfs are available in plenty. So with the soft copy of
almost everything available, the question is where to store it and how to manage
it. Just like hardcopies occupy a physical space, soft copies of anything also
need storage space.
Maintaining digital data not only requires storage space but also servers, databases, soft wares, networks, analytics, and intelligence. CLOUD COMPUTING is the one-stop for all these ends to meet.
CLOUD COMPUTING is the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the internet instead of your computer’s hard drive to the store, manage, and process data. These functions could be performed on a personal computer or local server as well but cloud computing offers a single place for all these functions for people who do not wish to occupy their time and resources with so many technicalities. It is an on-demand availability of computer resources without direct active management by the user.
In layman’s language, the cloud is
basically the internet so cloud computing is the delivery of IT (Information
Technology) as a service over the internet payment based on usage. You can pay
for whichever service you wish to avail and thereby run your operations more
efficiently.
THE PRIME USERS OF CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES:
. Software and IT
. Media and entertainment
. Finance and insurance
. Telecommunications
. Manufacturing and retail & etc
SERVICES OFFERED BY THE CLOUD:
Infrastructure as a service-IaaS
Iaas is a cloud computing model where IT infrastructure- such as servers and virtual machines (VMs), storage, networks, operating systems, and more- can be outsourced by an external cloud provider on a pay-as-you-go basis. Example-Backup, recovery, monitoring, website hosting and etc. Some IaaS providers- Microsoft Azure, GoGrid, DigitalOcean and etc.
Platform as a Service- PaaS
It is a cloud computing model where a platform is provided to the developers where they can develop and test software applications without worrying about setting up or managing the underlying infrastructure of the network, storage, servers, and databases required for developing. Some PaaS providers are- AWS, Microsoft Azure, SAP, Oracle Cloud and etc.
Software as a Service- SaaS
It is a cloud computing model where software applications are provided over the internet on-demand. Users can connect with the required software application without worrying about the software upgrades, security patching, hosting or managing the software and etc. Some SaaS provider’s are-Oracle CRM, SAP, Zoho, Microsoft Office 360 and etc.
Under these three services lay numerous
uses for all based on one’s requirement and financial parameters. However, not
all clouds are the same and no one type of cloud computing is perfectly suited
to everyone. There are several models, services, and types to satisfy your needs
with precision.
TYPES OF CLOUD COMPUTING
Public Cloud
These are owned, operated, and
maintained by the cloud service provider and the user merely needs to pay for
what he uses. All the hardware, software, and other infrastructure is owned and
managed by the cloud provider. The provider bears the bandwidth and
infrastructure expenses. It offers high reliability, zero maintenance, and
on-demand scalability. However, users need to comply with stringent security
regulations. Example-Microsoft Azure
Private cloud
A private cloud is one where the cloud
computing resources, services, and infrastructure are maintained on a private
network and used exclusively by a single business. It provides more control
over customizability and flexibility. Cloud computing resources are
maintained over a private network solely for the owner.
Hybrid cloud
It is a hybrid or combination of
private cloud and public cloud. It gives a business great flexibility by
allowing it to allocate data resources between private and public cloud meaning
one can use the public cloud for general applications like emails and private cloud
for sensitive and private assets like finances, data recovery, etc.
An organization has the freedom to opt
for a private, public, or hybrid type of cloud computing based on the many
specifications like a requirement, financial freedom, manageability, and more. All
these factors dictate a suitable type to suffice all the needs.
BENEFITS OF CLOUD COMPUTING
Scalability
Organizations can scale up their range
of operations without having to maintain complicated and expensive soft wares.
It offers immediate scalability of infrastructure capacity to meet the business
needs. All the IT resources are available for you to use without having to
actually take up the company's resources to maintain them.
Financially economical
In cloud computing you pay or what you
use no less no more. So one can use an IT resource without having to spend
money on purchasing, maintaining, and upgrading it. You can get the latest soft
wares and only have to pay for how much and to what extent you use them.
Security
Organizations using cloud don’t have to
spend time and resources on maintaining severity as that responsibility lays
with the cloud service provider. They ensure complete data security.
Flexibility
Cloud allows organizations to use all
kinds of IT services which it could not possibly maintain on its own. All the
upgrades and security concerns are managed by the service provider thus giving
the user the freedom to access various services with limited exhaustion of time
and resources.
Increased collaboration
Team members view and share information
easily and securely across a cloud-based platform thus giving the employees a
space to connect and increase engagement and interest.
Disaster recover
You can not anticipate what future
risks and challenges lay ahead for an organization. Cloud provides easy and
efficient data recovery to users in case of an emergency or disaster. It takes
complete care of the organization's data assets and initiates recovery as soon
as there is an emergency.
HOW TO CHOSE A CLOUD PROVIDER?
The numerous services offered under cloud computing equips the users with a greater ability to achieve goals with efficiency and effectiveness. So before committing your resources to a particular cloud provider, you need to specify which you want, the degree of control required, and how much you are willing to invest. Although all cloud services, in general, are economical, one must analyze the provider’s services, security regulations, recovery options, customer support, and pricing models.
In a nutshell, cloud computing is a blessing to all looking to digitally advance and progress. Based on your requirements you can opt for the most suited service and progress your scale of operations with greater flexibility.
Writer: Aastha Soni
Editor: Sonal Kamble
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