In the modern world, where business owners are looking for ways to ‘go digital,’ cloud has become a common buzzword. You might have heard of the term’ cloud computing’ now that most of the workload is handled remotely in various business sectors due to the COVID19 pandemic. Going through a complete guide to cloud computing can help you understand the benefits for your business.
Let’s start with the basics – the definition of cloud computing.
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing refers to delivering on-demand IT resources like storage, servers, database, networking, and software via the Internet. It enables faster economies of scale, flexible resource management, and quicker innovation. With cloud computing models, you do not need to invest in purchasing and maintaining servers and other IT resources. Your chosen cloud service provider will take care of that for you.
When you switch to cloud computing services, you only pay for the cloud resources you use, which reduces operational costs. You can run remote IT infrastructure with increased efficiency and scale up or down based on your changing business needs.
Also Read: What makes Cloud Hosting an Absolute Necessity for SMBs?
Who Should Use Cloud Computing?
Almost every type of business, small or big, can benefit from cloud computing in several ways. Companies from every industry have adopted cloud computing for various reasons, such as remote software access, data backups, virtual desktops, and disaster recovery.
4 Primary Benefits of Cloud Computing
Think of cloud computing as a significant shift from how businesses look at IT resource deployment and management. Here are five reasons organizations look forward to switching to cloud computing:
1. Speed of Deployment
The scalability of in-house IT resources is a complex, time-consuming process. To add additional servers to your in-house IT infrastructure would require help from IT professionals who may take time to get things done. It can also cause a loss of productivity due to downtime while servers are being worked on.
Cloud computing services take an edge in this context as they are provided on demand. Vast computing resources can be deployed for your business needs in a few minutes, giving your business flexibility without facing a capacity planning burden.
2. Reduced Expenses
A significant benefit of cloud computing is that it eliminates the expense of hardware and software purchase, setup, and configuration. Another considerable investment that can be saved is running self-sufficient data centers in-house while maintaining round-the-clock electricity, security, and IT experts’ deployment.
With cloud computing, your cloud services provider charges you a monthly usage-based fee that costs considerably less than managing IT yourself.
3. Global Scalability
Cloud computing provides much-needed elasticity to scale IT resources. You do not need to invest in additional resources beforehand to handle peak seasons. You can scale resources quickly as your business needs change. Cloud computing delivers the precise amount of IT resources – storage, computing power, or bandwidth when required on demand.
4. Performance
Cloud computing services are backed by a worldwide network of high-tech data centers. These data centers undergo regular upgrades in terms of the latest computing resources to ensure efficient service delivery. Staying ahead of the technology curve offers maximum speed and minimum latency for applications and data hosted on the cloud.
5. Advanced-Data Security
Most cloud service providers follow a robust set of security norms and invest in advanced security methods. This robust security ensures the protection of data, infrastructure, and applications from potential security threats.
Also Read: How to Choose a Cloud Service Provider in 2023
Types of Cloud Deployment
Businesses have unique computing needs, so there is no one best model for all industries. There are several different cloud computing models and types to choose the right solution for your business needs.
Let’s begin with the type of cloud computing architecture on which the cloud services are based. Cloud computing providers deploy their services in three ways:
1. Public Cloud
Third-party cloud service providers own public clouds to deliver computing resources over the Internet to their clients. These service providers invest in the required software, hardware, and supporting IT infrastructure.
2. Private Cloud
Private cloud refers to cloud computing resources deployed for use exclusively by an organization. In this type of cloud deployment, the IT infrastructure is kept on a private network. In some cases, companies choose third-party cloud providers to host their private cloud or dedicated servers.
3. Hybrid Cloud
As the name suggests, a hybrid cloud is a combination of public and private clouds. These two different types of cloud are bound together to allow the sharing of data and applications. This enhanced sharing facility makes hybrid clouds a better choice for businesses seeking greater flexibility and professional aid towards optimizing existing infrastructure.
Types of Cloud Computing Models/Services
Amidst the growing popularity of cloud computing, several cloud computing models have emerged to fulfill diverse users’ needs. Each of these models provides a distinct level of control over cloud resources. The three main models of cloud computing are as follows:
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
IaaS represents the foundational building blocks of cloud computing. It provides access to various IT features, computers (dedicated hardware), data storage space, and other resources. A business can get a significant level of control over their IT resources with the IaaS model of cloud computing, which feels like working on the existing in-house IT infrastructure. For example – Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
PaaS is meant to eliminate the need to manage IT infrastructure to focus on software/hardware deployment and management. Switching to PaaS helps enhance workplace productivity without worrying about capacity planning, resource procurement, or IT maintenance. An example of the PaaS model of cloud computing is Windows Azure.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS has become a standard cloud computing model used by software companies to deliver their products to the end-users. The end users only need to think about using the product features, not how it is provided, maintained, or offered. Gmail is an excellent example of the SaaS model of cloud computing.
Switch to Cloud Computing with Verito
Cloud computing can change the way you do business. When you are ready to switch to the cloud, partner with Verito – a trusted cloud hosting provider. We provide a comprehensive portfolio of cloud hosting solutions that help our clients solve common business problems.
