All about Cloud Computing

We’re sure you’ve heard of cloud computing, but do you know how cloud computing works? How is cloud computing influencing the IT and other industries? You’re probably using cloud computing right now, without even realizing it! From data storage to communicating with colleagues and friends, all devices use cloud computing.

As the statistics reveal, the revenue from the cloud computing sector is expected to cross $411 billion by 2020. This figure is a great indicator of the growth of cloud computing.

In this blog, we’re going to dive into “How Cloud Computing works”. It encapsulates what Cloud Computing means, how it works, benefits of cloud computing and how it is affecting our lives.

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is the collective use of hardware and software to deliver a service over a network, typically over the internet. It makes it easy for you to access files and applications from any device that can access the internet.

A cloud computing framework consists of files, applications, storage, services available to the public via the internet. Gmail is a real-life example of a public cloud network.

As with any other technology, there are both pros and cons associated with cloud computing. With cloud computing, cybersecurity being the primary concern, IT professionals and data scientists are not sure about the future of cloud computing.

No wonder organizations at large are shifting their services to the cloud, which offers an advantage of flexibility, mobility and speed. This is something organizations want to leverage, today and in the future. This blog will give you a detailed knowledge of cloud computing and its services.

How does cloud computing work?

If you’re reading this in 2018, you’re probably familiar with how we shared and saved data up till even a decade back. But with evolution, we have seen a huge shift in the technology that helps us save and share data and information. With cloud computing and the internet playing a big role, it is now much simpler to share data from any terminal, without any time constrains.

Cloud computing enables users to access information that is sitting in a space and is connected through the internet. For example, you may be travelling to Indonesia for a work trip and have your data sitting in your home in California. However, if your data and information are backed onto a cloud, you will be able to access it with a simple internet connection.

Cloud computing provides a way to access servers, storage, databases, set of applications over the internet. Cloud services platform like Amazon web services own and maintain the network connected hardware required for these application services.

Benefits of cloud computing:

Like any other technology, cloud computing has advantages and disadvantages. Cloud computing simplifies tasks and enables us to do things like access data, avoid loss of data and even secure data. Here are a few characteristics that explain what cloud computing does and how it can be beneficial:

Ease – With many cloud services such as Google Drive or iCloud, it is fairly easy to store data. Most services are free up till a certain amount of data storage.

Mobility – Cloud computing enables employees and members of the team to access the same information or data, updated in real time, even if they are far from their workplace.

Efficiency – If there happens to be a crash in the hardware, it does not affect the data that is stored in the cloud. This, in turn, does not affect the organization in the form of time lost or loss of data.

Categories

Cloud computing networks are divided into 4 main categories:

Public cloud network: this network is easily accessible by a service provider. Common examples of public cloud networks are Google, Microsoft

Private cloud network: it is restricted within an organization, such that it is accessible only by the team members of an organization and is better secured.

Community cloud network: this type of network is usually set up when several organizations come together to work. These organizations have common goals that are managed by the participating organizations.

Hybrid cloud network: as the name suggests, a hybrid cloud network is a combination of the best private, public and community networks.

Cloud computing services

Cloud computing is such a powerful technology, it enables you to access much more than just data. It even lets you access servers, applications and software. There are mainly three types of cloud computing services:

IaaS (Infrastructure as a service) – This type of service lets user access data storage capacity, processing power, and networking.

PaaS (Performance as a service) – This provides a platform and environment that allows developers to build applications and services over the internet.

SaaS (Software as a service) – It is a method of delivering software demands on a subscription basis. These include CRM systems, marketing automation tools, etc.

Other things you can do using cloud computing involves creating new applications and services, storing, backup and recovery of data, host websites, stream audio and video, deliver software on demand, analyze patterns and make predictions.

Applications of cloud computing

Cloud computing is used in fields such as agriculture, medical, finance, etc. It has a major role in the IT industry for businesses and organizations that share, process and store data in large quantities, or handle big data.

Cloud computing is a big part of our lives, even if you don’t realize it! If you have a smartphone and an internet connection, you’re probably using cloud computing services! A suitable real-time example of cloud computing is Gmail, an application that lets you access your Gmail account from any device and from any part of the world.

What are your thoughts on cloud computing? Does your business or organization use it? Let us know in the comments below!                                                                    

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