Just over 2 decades ago, the internet was a fringe utility, often misunderstood & frequently disregarded. The turn of the century gave way to digitalization & technological innovation, the likes of which weren’t expected for years to come.
Herein lies the irony!
The internet has irrefutably been the backbone & primary driving force behind this massive global transformation. It has connected millions across continents, expedited mass development & exponentially broadened the horizons of learning & education.
As is becoming increasingly common in today’s day & age, a new chapter beckons.
Cloud Computing has taken the world by storm & the opportunities of its application seem endless.
But what is the cloud? And how does cloud computing actually work?
Let’s delve deeper into a novel idea is progressively revolutionizing workflows as we know it.
Grasping the concept of ‘Cloud’ & Understanding Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is simply the process of running different IT applications by utilizing the internet. It can also be defined as the delivery of varied services, tools & resources over the internet. These can include data storage systems, networking channels, software & servers. The key aspect is to realize that neither the ‘cloud’ nor ‘cloud computing’ are actual technologies but only terms for the internet & processes facilitated by the use of the internet, respectively.
To put it in layman’s terms:
- If you have set up any IT system which is accessible by other computer or electronic devices, provides the user a certain utility & is scalable on demand, you’ve successfully created a cloud.
Varieties of Clouds
No two cloud entities are designed the same with definite tweaks in their essence of operation. Similarly, end-users of cloud services each have a unique requirement & hence their choice will also be different from each other. Keeping this mind, 3 overall types of clouds exist as follows:
- Public Clouds
– Instances where the infrastructure & software environment is owned &
stored by a third-party organization and is essentially rented on demand is
known as a public cloud service. All clouds whose physical & digital
bandwidth is divided & shared by multiple end-users become public clouds.
Some key examples would be Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, Microsoft
Azure & Apple iCloud.
- Private Clouds
– Cloud environments solely operated by a single user, company or organization
are called private clouds. The infrastructure required (servers, storage etc.)
can be stored on-site at the offices of a company or can sometimes be
outsourced to a third-party to host on their behalf at an agreed upon cost.
Therefore, all services utilized on a private cloud are done so on a secure,
private network.
- Hybrid Clouds
– In cases where applications and services seamlessly move through multiple
cloud environments which can be a combination of 2 or more public or private
clouds or a mixture of both, can be referred to as a hybrid cloud. This allows
for maximum flexibility, efficiency and optimization of workload for end-users.
Major Types of Cloud Services
All in all, 3 distinct cloud service models exist which are being widely adopted around the globe.
- IaaS or Infrastructure as a Service – The most commonly utilized cloud deployment
model in which companies essentially lease hardware & IT equipment such as
physical servers, data storage drives, networks, virtual machines from cloud
providers for a certain fee. The end-user accesses this infrastructure through
a digital application framework over the internet while the cloud provider is
responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the rented hardware &
infrastructure.
- PaaS or Platform as a Service – Quite commonly harnessed by developers &
programmers. PaaS defines a cloud model wherein the physical infrastructure as
well as the software environment (the platform), required to develop, design,
create & run various applications is hosted by a third party and accessed
by an end user/s. It’s effectively used when a company does not want the headache
of managing the physical infrastructure or software platform but focus on
actually creating other applications.
- SaaS or Software as a Service –The most easily understood of the 3, SaaS refers to the instance when a functioning software is provided over the internet, generally on a subscription basis. Most mobile apps fall under this umbrella. A well-known example would be Microsoft Office 365 which is licensed by billions of people for a nominal fee.
Advantages:
- The most obvious benefit is the reduction in expenses, as we only pay for the application & type of service we require while the lack of maintenance of physical equipment or hardware cuts down on unnecessary costs.
- Scalability – The exact amount of IT resources can be provided at the required time to the right place.
- Speed & Performance – Cloud services are outsourced to dedicated servers worldwide while only the essential required applications are utilized on demand, providing immense speed of operation.
- As data stored on the cloud can be replicated at multiple unique & separate locations, it provides redundancy of storage in case of major crashes or calamities.
Downsides to Using Cloud Services:
The only possible glaring downside to ‘harnessing the power of the cloud’ is the security risk.
With information stored on external, third-party servers, there lies an inherent risk to permanent loss off sensitive & confidential data. With cybersecurity measures developing to safeguard information in better ways, no security system is foolproof and can be breached.
To learn more about the nitty-gritties of cloud computing, the roadmap for its future & its worldwide integration, tune in to the MARKETSANDMARKETS CLOUD COMPUTING CRYSTAL BALL EVENT on the 28th of July 2022 at 10 AM EST!
CLICK HERE TO EXPLORE THE EVENT!
REGISTER FOR THE 90-MIN VIRTUAL EVENT HERE!
Ayush
Kanitkar
MarketsandMarkets
+91-8975985061
