Cloud computing has changed how businesses and IT practices are being carried out in 2021. In recent times, companies had to operate and have excellent facilities and infrastructure to facilitate the business, which added up to the company's cost. Nowadays, due to the advancement in technology, companies are using the same and even bigger infrastructures and software over the internet and also from any location in the world. This transformative technology has saved companies billions of dollars and helped organizations stay lean.
Cloud computing has been accessible to businesses for nearly two decades. It has been continuously offering businesses reliable and scalable infrastructure, which is specifically designed to help organizations streamline their entire processes and workload. With more and more businesses adapting to this trend, we will explain what cloud computing technology is all about. In this article, we will also discuss how it benefits and saves enormous money to the companies. So, let's not waste any further time and get started with the same. What is Cloud Computing?
Traditionally, Companies used to have the hardware and software together as their infrastructure and were stored together on a user’s computer. It means that the user accesses data, processes it, and stores it on the same computer. But now, due to the cloud system, the same data or applications can be accessed through the internet from any location around the globe. In cloud computing, the usage of the software and also the hardware is delivered to the user via the internet or network. The working principle behind this seamless technology is that the heavy computational work is done on the machine, which is often remote, or provided by the Cloud computing service provider.
Due to this, the user’s computer stays free of the heavy software and major hardware that supports that software. LMS hosting cloud service provider collects, processes and stores the data and information on the servers, called cloud servers. By this process, the cloud saves the memory, lessens the load and effort of the user’s computer, and helps in cost saving. Depending upon the facility, Cloud and ecommerce development services are classified broadly into three types. Infrastructure as a Service IaaS, Platform as a Service Paas, and Software as a service SaaS. IaaS, or infrastructure as a service, is a virtualized data center that brings the storage infrastructure to the users. It provides raw compute, storage, and networking infrastructure virtually.
Platform as a service PaaS provides cloud components and infrastructure that the user's software requires. Software as a service SaaS delivers the applications or software to the users through the internet. Some big cloud service providers include Amazon web services, Microsoft Azure, and Google cloud. These providers support all major applications like WordPress hosting servers, Magento, Laravel, etc. We hope now you have well understood what Cloud Computing is all about. Now let us know the benefits associated with it.
Benefits of Cloud Computing 1. Reduced IT costs
One of the key benefits associated with cloud computing to businesses is that it helps in lowering down the IT cost and builds up a very streamlined model for the management to operate hassle-free. By using cloud computing, Companies don’t have to buy expensive hardware and software and various infrastructure. All you need is a good cloud computing service provider, and the money is saved.
Now, if you don’t have those heavy pieces of equipment and machines, money on spacing them, maintaining them, hiring a great talent pool to service them, rent paid on electricity, etc., are saved. And remember, money saved is money earned. The most significant advantage is that you pay for the service as you go, which means that the service is available on demand. It also comes with great flexibility if you need to have more resources to get more instantly, and the same goes for cutting down the resources. Needless to say, with such features, cloud computing has been proven to be a good return on investment and value for money.
2. Scalability In this uncertain world, the demand is very unpredictable, and your business needs to stay lean on it to work and operate efficiently. You need to be able to scale down your requirement for the services according to the business environment that you are in. A significant advantage of cloud computing is also that your scaling up and down of operating and requirements associated with it can be handled by your cloud service provider, and your efforts can be maximized where it is needed. Too much focus is not wasted on managing computers and IT. According to a survey, it was found that the ability which is provided by cloud computing to meet business demand quickly is one of the big reasons why they moved to use cloud computing services.
3. Security
In this prevalent time where information theft and hacking has become very common, it is very understandable that you are worried about your files and data. Many big companies have been worried and still have those security concerns. Data loss is a concern which worries the heads of many organizations. Cloud-based services are full-time engaged in monitoring data security. Cloud service providing companies complies very stringently with security regulations, monitoring, and regular checks to ensure that their customer's data is saved and is available to the right user or owner instantly. These cloud service providers use a robust firewall system that prevents intrusion and saves the data from viruses. Also, by using encryption, data and information are not so readily available to hackers. According to a survey by Rapidscale, a consumer base of 94% saw an improvement in data security.
4. Business Continuity A day-to-day operation can be stopped due to external reasons due to unforeseen circumstances such as any natural disaster, power failure, or any other kind of crisis. If you are a cloud user, it is very well said that you are free from all these hassles because your information is stored at some different location and is also safe and secure. The ability to access your important files and data from anywhere, even during the time of crisis, gives you a standing ground over your competition and keeps you ahead in business. Furthermore, cloud computing increases efficiency by automating business processes. For example, cloud-integrated management software for tire shops automatically streamlines workflow processes, including receiving orders, comparing prices, and accounting, ensuring that your tire shop’s support services continue to run in the event of unforeseen circumstances. At this very unpredictable time, it has become essential for companies to plan and organize their business continuity. Don’t you need to ensure that your services are up and running at all costs throughout the day, all the year, and doesn’t stop for any reason?
5. Greater Collaboration Due to cloud-based systems, it has become easier for the business to communicate and share, which was not available with the traditional methods. If you are someone who works on any project which serves different locations, you can easily give access to the data and files to the associated person of the respective location. After the increased usage of cloud computing, it has been seen that the collaboration between employees, teams, companies has increased, and also the inefficiencies and gaps in communication have significantly decreased. Your staff member can easily share and access the same file from different locations using cloud services.
6. Flexibility is one of the key features again on which companies these days heavily rely. We had seen during the time of COVID when the businesses were operating from home, and employees had to work remotely from their own comfortable spaces, and also the quality work was not hampered. It was all possible due to cloud infrastructure. It has become possible for employees to work in an organization by not even being on its premises. There is no restriction whatsoever in accessing any information. All they need is a working system and good connectivity to the internet. It has been seen that many organizations are employing this method to give their employees a very suitable working flexibility and can cut down office spaces and infrastructure they need.
7. Automatic Updates In these ever-changing business scenarios, it is essential to be up to date with the new needs and innovation in working methodologies. Many cloud services providers provide software updates and application updates regularly. This feature enhances the agility, performance, and security of the system and ensures the operations are hassle-free. This service by the providers saves the time, expense, and energy of the clients.
8. More Control Any company needs to have control over any sensitive information and data. Any information leak or theft can cause potential damage and affect your business directly and indirectly. One great feature of the cloud is that it comes with complete visibility of who can edit, access, and store your data. The Owner has real-time visibility over how the information is accessible and to whom it is accessible. You have control over who can see what and how much.
9. Environment friendly Once a company moves to use cloud-based systems, they move away from having their own large data centers which use a big chunk of energy to run. In this way, companies that choose cloud services can significantly reduce their carbon footprint and help make this world a better place. 10. The future is in Cloud More and more companies each day are opting for cloud services, and the reasons are explained above. Cloud is going to be even more critical as the companies are becoming lean and agile. With the increase in data size and the amount of information a company collects and processes, Cloud makes it easier for the company to focus on their business efficiently while handling all the other requirements by themselves. It has become the most cost-effective option for storing and managing a large amount of data, and companies will keep relying more and more on it in the future. What are the factors to consider before choosing a cloud service provider?
As we mentioned before, cloud computing benefits various businesses in many ways. So, you might also need a cloud service provider for your business in the future. But the main question is, how will you find a reliable platform? As the demand for cloud services has increased, the service providers are growing. So, confusion will be there because you have many options. You can avoid this problem by considering some factors mentioned below
● Cloud security: Cloud security is the most significant thing to consider while choosing a service provider. For this, you should analyse your security goals first. If you skip this step, you might not be able to compare. After knowing your security objectives, you can further research what the service provider offers.
Different service providers offer various cloud security features. So, you need to choose one that provides the best ones. One thing that will help you select the right option for you is mentioning your requirements. Some platforms focus on keeping the customer's needs first. You can also ask some questions before deciding on one.
● Cloud Compliance: Cloud compliance is another factor that is essential to consider for the same. It is always better to understand different compliance platforms. In this way, you will know which suits your needs and requirements well. You should communicate to the server provider regarding the same. Otherwise, it will be challenging for you to find the right one.
● Architecture: To choose a suitable service provider, you should also focus on the architecture they provide. You can decide by looking at your current one. For instance, if your company has been dependent on Microsoft for a long time, you should go for Azure.
Cloud storage architecture matters a lot before selecting a cloud service provider. So, never forget to consider it during the process of researching. Conclusion
