For those who are not very tech-savvy, the term cloud computing may seem as foreign as the clouds. You might have heard about cloud computing from business summits or from your IT personnel but might have never had a full grasp on its entire concept. Nevertheless, it doesn’t take an IT expert to understand what cloud computing is all about.
Here we’ll try to shed some light on what cloud computing offers and why businesses, big or small, should head on to the clouds.
Comprehending the Concept of Cloud Computing
The cloud generally stands as a metaphor for the Internet. And in the simplest terms, cloud computing refers to the use of the Internet to gain access to certain applications and services that are run by remote servers. To understand this concept, you can think of cloud computing as a credit card, only more cost-effective.
A credit card makes settling payments more convenient since you won’t need to carry around a large sum of money when shopping. It’s handy, accessible, and the risk of having your cash lost or stolen is minimised. Cloud computing is similar to a credit card in the sense that it makes transactions easier. But instead of being substituted for cash, cloud computing replaces the in-house infrastructure and software typically used by businesses to store data or manage operations with web-based applications. With cloud computing, almost everything a business needs—from data storage to payroll management—becomes more manageable as applications can be accessed over the Internet anytime, anywhere.
Benefits of Cloud Computing
Although considered as a “new kid on the block,” cloud computing is known to bring many benefits to organisations and individual users alike. Service providers offer various cloud solutions to help users improve their operations and efficiency. The following are only some of the reasons that make it beneficial for businesses to head on to the clouds:
- Savings – Before cloud computing, businesses relied on dedicated servers to help them run their applications and websites properly, but dedicated servers are often costly and raise space and control issues. With cloud computing, businesses can save from installation and maintenance fees because of the pay-as-you-go service offered by cloud providers.
- Accessibility – Another advantage of cloud computing is the accessibility of data. As long as you have an Internet-connected device with you, you can read, send, and edit files no matter where you are in the world. Also, even if your computer or mobile device crashes, there’s no need to worry about important information being lost because all data is stored in the cloud and can be retrieved when you use another device.
- Scalability – Cloud computing allows users to expand or reduce the server use depending on the demand. For instance, when your website experiences a random traffic spike, all you have to do is increase the server use to balance the load, and then shrink them back when it drops down.
- Instant Connection – With cloud computing, you can avail of ready-made servers from your chosen providers instantly. Cloud service providers typically offer cloud solutions that include virtual servers and disaster recovery to meet the needs of every user.
Cloud computing may be a relatively new concept and it may still be undergoing some developments, but with the changing needs of the times, it pays to try what technology has in store for us.
Debra Wright blogs about a plethora of topics including dedicated servers in cloud infrastructure and other fields. Wright considers Zettagrid as one of the leaders in quality Cloud Computing Services.