As you probably know, businesses are migrating to the cloud in droves. According to Reportlinker.com, the cloud computing market size is expected to hit USD 947.3 billion by 2026. But what exactly is cloud computing, and what are the technology’s key advantages?
In layman’s terms, the cloud refers to servers accessible remotely through the Internet. Different products like data backup, synchronization, analysis, streaming, app testing are all examples of cloud computing services. Even if your company hasn’t migrated to the cloud, you already take advantage of cloud computing if you access services like Netflix, PlayStation Now, Gmail, Flickr, Dropbox, Microsoft Office 365, and more.
Cloud Computing Models
There are many different cloud computing models, from SaaS to IaaS and PaaS. Here is what these terms mean:
- SaaS: Short for Software as a Service, SaaS allows you to access apps on the cloud on a pay-as-you-go solution. Your company has little control over the infrastructure or cloud with SaaS. A good example of SaaS is Dropbox.
- IaaS: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) options like Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2 offer virtualization, storage, security, networking on-demand. With IaaS, you can get virtual servers for your business to carry your apps on the cloud.
- PaaS: Platform as a Service (PaaS) solutions like Dokku give you on-demand access to tools for cloud-based platform services.
Interestingly, the most popular cloud-based services like Microsoft Azure and AWS will give you a mixture of PaaS, SaaS, and IaaS, depending on your wants and needs.
CloudOps Managed Services
The IT teams of many companies struggle to focus on their core priorities when also tasked with managing their organization’s cloud environment. The responsibilities are endless, from operations, performance, scalability, and security to managing IaaS and PaaS.
It’s no wonder that CloudOps services from top cloud management providers are becoming increasingly popular with leading businesses. These services can fully manage or co-manage cloud environments, lowering operating costs, bottlenecks, and downtime while boosting agility, security, governance, and task automation. The right CloudOps services also enhance security and reliability with advanced threat detection and response measures.
But what are the advantages of cloud computing?
Cloud migration can be a long, challenging, and pricey process, yet organizations are pivoting to the cloud to yield the following advantages:
Remote Working
While the COVID-19 pandemic may be on its last legs, it certainly has changed the way we work. Initially, companies adopted remote working protocols for physical safety, but many continue to use complete or partial remote working rules to save operational costs. Cloud computing makes it easier for employees to access company networks when assets are accessible from anywhere on the Internet.
Costs
The cost-saving measures of cloud computing can be plentiful in the long term. You don’t have to regularly invest in buying, running, maintaining, and upgrading local computers when you rely on cloud services because your service provider handles your servers. You also don’t need to dedicate space to local services.
Power
The computers on the cloud are doing all the heavy lifting. You don’t need a cutting-edge computer for certain services on the cloud. Your team also doesn’t need several terabytes of local storage when you’re storing apps and data remotely.
While cloud computing isn’t immune to cybersecurity threats, it offers significantly better security than localized solutions. Cloud computing also makes it easier to experiment and innovate with new apps and ideas. So, if you haven’t already, consider starting your cloud migration today, and work with the right cloud solutions providers for optimal results.
