CLOUD COMPUTING
Cloud computing has become an area of interest for both large and small businesses over the past few years.
Cloud computing is the practice of using
a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and
process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer. While the term
“cloud computing” may be new, the concept is not.
Most small businesses have an office
server which has a series of desktop computers networked to it. Conventionally,
that hardware is referred to as “the network,” or “the information systems.”
With cloud computing, the server still
exists – it is just no longer physically located in the office. Instead, the
server is located somewhere in a datacenter and usually shared with millions of
other users or tenants. It is accessible through the Internet, or in
other words, it lives “in the cloud.”
Cloud Computing Features:
The Advantages of Cloud Computing
·
Low
Capital Cost
Comparatively, low capital expenditure is central to cloud computing
value proposition. Building and storing systems on the cloud significantly
reduce the financial investment in hardware.
·
Flexibility
With cloud computing, because you only pay for what you use, you have
the flexibility to use what you need. This means if you are a small business in
a start-up mode, you can start small. As the business grows, you can scale up
your technology system to match your business needs.
·
Simple,
Fast, Easy
The beauty of cloud computing is that it’s easy. Cloud computing can
streamline many parts of a business, improving efficiency.
·
Accessibility
Regardless of where you are in the world, you can access your
cloud-based applications. The only thing required is a device that can access
the web and an Internet connection.
·
Catastrophe
and Contingency Planning Should
a natural disaster strike your business, the good news is that your computing
capability resides somewhere else. Obviously, this is a disadvantage if the
disaster hits your cloud provider.
Potential Disadvantages of Cloud Computing
·
Security
of Your Data
Data security is one of the primary concerns related to cloud computing.
In a very basic sense, the data that used to reside within the four walls of
your facility now resides elsewhere. The security of that data must be
understood and addressed, particularly if the data contains trade secrets,
proprietary lists, customer files, etc.
·
Redundancy
Redundancy refers to the reliability of your web-based applications that
run in the cloud. A practical example of redundancy would be if the server your
website is running on crashes, another server picks up where the other left off
and your business keeps going.
·
Costs
When Under Attack
While cloud computing represents a strong low-cost option for small
businesses, it can cost more money if a company’s website comes under a
distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack.
·
Performance
Can Vary
In a cloud environment, your applications are running on servers that
simultaneously provide resources to other businesses. As the requirements for
the other users go up and down, the performance of your share of the resources
will vary.
·
Closing
Remarks
Cloud computing is a powerful, flexible and cost-effective tool. For
many businesses, it is the way of the future.
