CLOUD COMPUTING

 

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.