9 Reasons Businesses Love The Cloud
Updated: Aug 6, 2021
What is "The Cloud" and what is "Cloud Computing"?
According to PC Magazine the cloud is a communications network. The word "cloud" often refers to the Internet, and more precisely to some datacenter full of servers that is connected to the Internet. However, the term "cloud computing" refers to the software and services that have enabled the Internet cloud to become so prominent in everyday life.
A Cloud May Refer to Any Network
A cloud can be a wide area network (WAN) like the public Internet or a private, national or global network. The term can also refer to a local area network (LAN) within an organization.
For decades, network diagrams have used a cloud-like symbol to reduce the entire infrastructure of a network into simply entry and exit points when the specific network architecture is not material to the illustration. Inside the cloud, there may be any number of cables, routers and switches that handle the forwarding of data from one point to another. The cloud diagram may also include the servers that perform the required data processing.
Network Cloud
For decades, the cloud symbol has represented a network without divulging technical details. The symbol is used when only the points of entry and exit need to be identified.
Today's Cloud
Quite often, the cloud is the Internet, and cloud computing on the Internet has several advantages for developers, content publishers and users.
9 reasons why businesses love the advantages of the cloud are:
Scaling / performance: resources can be shared with other customers; peaks and lows can be balanced in large data-centers.
Easy collaboration: by providing access from any device to cloud-based information, employees can collaborate across flexible workplaces, spread over different locations.
Speed of deployment: The cloud reduces time spent installing and configuring applications and services, along with time needed to patch individual servers.
Global coverage: global companies can have one point of contact and contract to facilitate international operations without having a need for local services.
Security: growing security threats become a liability for companies. Cloud providers are better able to set up and improve security measurements to make data and systems safe.
Disaster recovery: the uptime of systems as well as recovery times is guaranteed by the provider of the SAAS or IAAS, thus taking that risk away from companies. Because of scale, SAAS or IAAS providers can facilitate better uptimes then classic on-premise based systems, at less cost.
Automatic updates: newer versions of the software are deployed (semi) automatically, which can reduce risk of companies remaining on outdated versions.
CAPEX to OPEX: most companies don't like major upfront investment. The move to the cloud enables companies to pay as they go.
Big data / AI: because of the enormous amount of data that's available, and increasing (artificial) intelligence technologies, systems can be set up to deliver smart analyses and recommendations.
Do you think utilizing the cloud as a resource could benefit your business? Contact us!