Definition: Cloud Computing

As Netscape co-founder and Facebook board member Marc Andreessen explains, it was « the dream of every cyber-visionary in the early 1990s. » Cloud computing has fundamentally changed the economics of information technology, introducing new opportunities, new business models and a whole new era of business.

What is cloud computing and how does it work?

A simple definition of cloud computing involves the provision of different types of services over the internet. From software and analytics to secure and secure data storage and networking resources, everything can be delivered via the Cloud.

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You probably use different cloud-based applications every day. You benefit from cloud solutions every time you send a file to your colleague via the web, whether you’re using a mobile app, downloading an image, watching a Netflix show, or playing an online video game. All these services are stored in the Cloud and exist in some digital space.

Storing your information on a OneDrive, SharePoint or an email server is very different from storing this data on a desktop hard drive or USB stick. You can access it from any computer with Internet access.

For businesses, cloud computing means improved collaboration and productivity, as well as significant cost reduction. It means better data protection, better availability and expanded access to cutting-edge technologies.

Five characteristics of cloud computing

What makes something a Cloud?

According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), there are five characteristics that define cloud computing:

1. On-demand service : You can use it whenever you need and pay as you use it. Think of it like electricity. In fact, the Cloud is a form of utility computing. You create an account or choose your provider, and your services will be available at all times. You are billed at the end of the month only for what you used. This form of storage and access to your data gives you complete control over your resource usage and spending.
2. Wide Area Network Access : You should be able to access the Internet from any device with an Internet connection. No matter where you are, your data in the Cloud will be accessible via web browsers, as well as on laptop or mobile devices. The reason is that the underlying infrastructure includes servers located across multiple locations.
3. Pooling of resources : Multiple users can share the same space, and resources can be assigned, reallocated and distributed as needed. You can be anywhere in the world and still have the same access as everyone else, as long as you have access to the Internet.
4. Rapid elasticity : The Cloud can grow and contract as much as possible without affecting any of its users or their information. For example, if your business experiences traffic spikes, the cloud can expand to meet all the new demands.
5. Measured service : You can look at how often people use the Cloud. Many cloud service providers use a pay-as-you-go model to ensure that their customers get what they pay for, no more, no less. Again, this model can be compared to electricity, since you are billed for the amount you use.

There are three types of Cloud, each having its own advantages. You need to evaluate your cloud options to decide which one is best for you and your business.

Types of Cloud Computing

Public cloud

Public cloud services are among the best for development systems and web servers. Your cloud computing provider will give you part of its digital space to share with other tenants.

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These types of Cloud are profitable since a pay-as-you-go model works most often. You pay for the number of hours needed to use the Cloud and can exit when you finish your work. There is no obligation to pay more than you need.

Private Cloud

Private Clouds offer what their name suggests: privacy. You don’t have to share your digital space with anyone else. Private cloud platforms are typically built in-house, and they are owned by you and your business. They can also be configured in a third-party data center while providing an advanced level of privacy.

Large enterprises and security-conscious customers prefer private clouds. The reason for this is mainly that these Clouds offer better security than their public counterparts. Businesses that need to protect sensitive information like customer data rely on private clouds.

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If you use a private cloud, you know who has access to the data, you know if anyone has made changes, and you know what to do in an emergency. You have full control over what happens in the Cloud and you don’t have to worry about a third-party provider making changes that could negatively impact you. A firewall protects everything in your Cloud against outsiders.

Hybrid Clouds

Hybrid clouds are the best of both worlds. If you use a hybrid cloud, you can control an internal database and use the public cloud if necessary. There may be times when you need to move data and applications from the private cloud to the public cloud, for example for scheduled maintenance, power outages, or natural disasters. The ability to migrate information seamlessly is perfect for cloud-based disaster recovery and data loss prevention.

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The flexibility of hybrid clouds is great for scaling because any overflow can be regulated in the public Cloud. Additionally, you can keep all non-sensitive tasks in the public cloud while backing up essential data in the private cloud.

Regardless of the size of your business or the industry it serves, there will always be a cloud solution that best meets your needs. Take the time to compare the advantages and disadvantages of each type of solution before you decide.

As mentioned previously, businesses are now using the Cloud in multiple forms. Below are some common uses of the Cloud:

Examples of Cloud Computing Services

Cloud storage and hosting

Keeping essential documents in a central online storage location makes them easier for everyone to access. Cloud storage is vital for businesses whose employees all need to get the same information to do their jobs. It helps increase collaboration and efficiency between organizations.

Cloud storage is also convenient for personal use as you can keep your necessary documents on a web server for later access. Just consult Google Docs or OneDrive. You no longer need to carry around a USB drive to edit your spreadsheets or read your files.

Cloud backup

Backing up files in the Cloud is by far the most effective way to ensure their availability. Cloud backup solutions allow you to create multiple copies of files and store data in different locations. This way, you don’t have to worry about your files being lost if one of your or your provider’s cloud servers goes down.

Email :

People send around 105 billion emails every day. Millions of newsletters, greetings and reminders arrive in people’s inboxes around the world. None of this would be possible without cloud infrastructure.

Economic intelligence

The availability of cloud-based BI systems has triggered some of the most revolutionary changes in businesses. Complex data analysis, processing and reporting systems are now available over the Internet at cost-effective prices. A single license can be transferred to multiple users, without requiring lengthy installation or configuration.

Advantages of cloud computing

The examples mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg. Cloud computing has so many uses it seems almost impossible to count them all. Every business can find a use for cloud computing services in one way or another.

1. ALWAYS AVAILABLE STORAGE

Once again, the Cloud provides an easy way to store all your necessary data. VYou can rent cloud storage inexpensively and tailor it to your needs. You no longer need to use an external hard drive or build an internal data center.

2. DISASTER RECOVERY SOLUTIONS

You need data protection in case of disaster. It is essential to prevent as much data loss as possible, in terms of time, money and efficiency. The cloud enables disaster recovery much faster and more cost-effective than traditional solutions.

Sometimes the best way to deal with tragedy is to prepare for it in advance. You should always consider worst-case scenarios because most disasters are unplanned. Before using cloud computing, you should distribute and collect various tapes and drives, then transfer the data to a central location. Now you just need to click a few buttons and it will be done for you.

3. COST SAVINGS

You no longer need to buy a ton of external hard drives to store your essential information. Businesses can save up to 43% annually by migrating virtualized operating system instances to the cloud. Additionally, the cloud gives you access to professional staff, advanced security systems, and cutting-edge hardware and software, which adds to the expected savings.

Cloud service providers that use a pay-as-you-go model are particularly useful because you’ll never have to spend money on services you don’t use.

Compare this to a monthly subscription service where you have to pay to apply for the entire month, regardless of frequency of use. If you use a monthly subscription service for just two weeks, you’ll get half your money’s worth.

4. REGULAR UPDATES

The software is constantly improved to increase security, efficiency, speed, capacity and reliability. On the other hand, updating the hardware would require purchasing a new device to take advantage of the recent improvements. Software updates are consistent and generally do not require additional fees.

5. CONTINUITY OF ACTIVITIES

Ensuring business operability in the event of a disaster is a significant challenge for most organizations. However, when a single minute of downtime can cost you more than implementing a backup and disaster recovery solution, business continuity management becomes a priority.

The cloud offers disaster recovery and business continuity solutions. You can count on it to keep your data and applications running even if a disaster physically hits your business. With a solid business continuity plan and suitable cloud computing solutions, you can minimize the effects of possible disruptions.

6. BETTER COLLABORATION

People can work together more effectively than ever before. Who needs to book a conference room or take an international flight when large groups of people from all over the world can simply meet over a Skype call? No one needs to print copies of the latest report because everyone can access it from the cloud.

Perhaps you work for a large international company with locations around the world. Whether your offices are in India, China, Australia, Ireland, Brazil or America, every employee has equal access to relevant information via cloud technology. Additionally, you can use cloud computing solutions by simply opening your phone. It’s convenient, isn’t it?

Cloud Collaboration Tools Offer Significant Benefits to Employees. They can use file versioning or real-time editing at any time. They can access data, applications and services remotely from any device. All this increases their productivity and, ultimately, the company’s profits.

7. INCREASED CAPACITY

You no longer need to guess whether you will have enough capacity to build or destroy an application. Clouds can scale up or down depending on your business needs. This flexibility allows you to always use Cloud services, whatever your business activity.

8. PERFORMANCE AND SPEED

The Cloud makes enterprise-grade technology accessible to small businesses as well. This form of utility computing makes emerging technologies available to businesses at an affordable price.

You can access high-performance hardware and software to improve your operations. OPEX-based delivery model makes cloud resources accessible to businesses of all sizes. All you have to do is choose the solution that best meets your needs.

9. DATA SECURITY

Protect your data and make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

Cloud backups are an ideal solution to ensure business continuity and permanent availability of your files. All clouds offer some degree of encryption, deterrence, and compliance, but private clouds remain the safest for outsiders. Even so, you should be wary of insider attacks.

cloud computing definition

A shocking 43% of data security breaches come from insider threats, so you need to be incredibly careful in monitoring your employees.

Disgruntled employees and people who would use your data to their advantage can pose a threat. Be sure to keep a watchful eye and do background checks on anyone you hire. You must also revoke any former employee’s access to your data.

Types of Cloud Services

Cloud services are as varied as the types of Clouds themselves. You can purchase three different types of cloud services:

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) allows you to save money on purchasing data centers or physical servers. You pay as you go and only pay for the time you use the service. IaaS allows you to quickly adjust your scale according to your demand.

Platform as a Service (PaaS) has everything you need for your professional applications. It is provided with infrastructure such as networking, online storage, and servers, as well as database management systems, development tools, and much more. PaaS is designed to help you create, test, develop and update your application.

Software as a service (SaaS) is what you get every time you download a new app for your phone. Companies create and develop their software, then lend it to buyers. Companies such as Autodesk, Lending Club, Microsoft, and IBM all earn revenue from SaaS.

Determine which service is best for you and your business. Cloud computing platforms are so diverse that it would be impossible to find a solution that doesn’t meet your needs.

The Future of Cloud Computing for Business

More and more companies are abandoning on-premises hardware in favor of cloud architecture much more advanced. With the development of computer technology, businesses naturally abandon their old ways and turn to cutting-edge solutions.

Experts know that the influence of cloud technologies will only expand, but the question remains how quickly they will develop. Here are some expert predictions:

• Global spending on cloud computing is expected to reach €390 billion by 2020.
  92% of all data will be in the Cloud by 2020.
• The Cisco Global Index estimates that 74% of total cloud workload will be SaaS workloads, 17% IaaS workloads, and 8% PaaS workloads by 2020.
• Public cloud infrastructure will store 68% of data in the cloud, and private clouds will retain 32%.
  Forrester predicts that customers who were hesitant to adopt the cloud will become the fastest growing user segment, increasing by 30% in 2018.

Only time can confirm the accuracy of these predictions, but there is one thing you can be sure of: the Cloud is here to stay. The future is evolving, and it’s almost impossible to say what crazy new ideas will dominate the world in five years.

We no longer need telephone line access, film development, CDs, cards, floppy disks, film rental stores, cards, VCRs, CDs or PDAs. These technologies have all been overtaken and made obsolete by newer and better inventions. It’s only a matter of time before we have AI and self-driving cars.

There may still be apps for USB sticks and similar devices, but you’ll probably always back them up to your cloud anyway. The hardware may never become entirely obsolete, but it’s no longer at the peak of its glory. Just as Netflix killed Blockbuster and e-books caused the death of Borders, cloud services will rule hardware in the years to come.

Private Cloud a solution for businesses

As you may have read, the private cloud is a space that you do not share with anyone and therefore a more secure space. You can manage access, you know who is authorized to enter this space.

But not always easy to set up, especially if you have little or no computer knowledge and no IT department. You can therefore call on specialists such as private cloud company. The latter will set up the service best suited to your situation. To do this, you can contact the Roverba company or consult its website Roverba.com. You’ll find information about how they work and how they create and install a private cloud for your business. With this secure service, you can save all your data, even the most sensitive ones, in your private cloud space. But above all you can access it anytime and from anywhere. Whether you are at work, at home or on vacation on the other side of the world, you can consult your private cloud space.

This solution allows you to make work easier for you and your colleagues. So, do not hesitate to visit our website and contact us for more information.