If you use Gmail, Google Drive, Google Photos, Microsoft OneDrive, Netflix, or Amazon Prime, then you are already interlinked with cloud computing. All of the mentioned software-based app services are based on cloud computing. To understand what is Cloud computing, stay tuned to this piece. We shall dig deeper into the concepts, the various types of cloud computing, and examples of it.
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services, including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence, over the internet (“the cloud”). It allows users to access and use these resources on demand without the need for local infrastructure or physical servers. Cloud computing offers a scalable and flexible solution, enabling organizations and individuals to utilize computing resources efficiently and cost-effectively.
To understand the concept of cloud computing first, one needs to realize that all the apps that we use in our daily lives are related to cloud computing. May it be sending an email with an attachment from a home device to access it at work via Gmail, or watching movies on Netflix – it is all an example of cloud computing.
Understanding Cloud Computing with an example
Cloud computing is providing on-demand services over the Internet. Let us understand this with the help of an example.
Consider that you are an entrepreneur, who is introducing a start-up in the market. What are the initial resources one would require to begin with? A computer system, where all the documents will be accumulated and stored as data. However, there will be a time when your company will recruit several employees. To store their data, one would have to acquire a hard disk – such as SSD, HDD or other systems or computers will be incorporated.
So, this elaborate structure would cost a tonne of funds. The maintenance of the hardware system will require a skilled tech team. Then if any error or technical issue arises then a well-planned strategy has to be kept ready. All these costs of maintenance and power of this system will also add to the list of expenses. Now in such situations, half of the systems may not be even utilized so the loss of it shall also go through the business owner.
In such cases, imagine if the business owner had access to such a service that would have stored all the data for them, or if any work needs to be conducted on the local servers or systems are worked out on a different remote system/ machine. In this case, the burden to pay the cost amount of maintenance, security, tech team, and recovery would have been laid on someone else. One could acquire all these services by paying a nominal fee. The services would be flexible accordioning to the needs of the entrepreneur. The only condition is good quality internet to access such a beneficial service. These are the cloud computing services offered and delivered by cloud providers.
Who Uses Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is used by a wide range of individuals, businesses, and organizations across various industries. Some common users of cloud computing include:
Individuals: People use cloud computing for personal tasks such as storing and accessing files, photos, and videos online, backing up mobile devices, using web-based applications, and streaming media.
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs): SMBs use cloud computing for various purposes, including data storage, backup and recovery, software development and testing, collaboration tools, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and email services.
Enterprises: Large organizations leverage cloud computing to optimize their IT infrastructure. They use it for virtualization, data storage, and backup, disaster recovery, hosting web applications, managing big data analytics, running artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) workloads, and more.
Startups: Cloud computing enables startups to access cost-effective and scalable IT resources without requiring upfront capital investment. Startups often utilize cloud services for web and mobile application development, hosting, and deployment, as well as integrating various third-party services.
Types of Cloud Computing
Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service are the three basic categories of cloud computing. Each type of cloud computing offers varying levels of control, flexibility, and management. It allows you to choose the best collection of services for your needs.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
IaaS provides the fundamental building blocks for cloud computing. It usually gives you access to networking features, computers (virtual or physical), and data storage space. IaaS provides you with the most flexibility and administrative control over your IT resources. It is most similar to existing IT resources that many IT departments and developers are already familiar with.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
PaaS eliminates the requirement for you to handle underlying infrastructure (often hardware and operating systems). It allows you to focus on application deployment and administration. This makes you more efficient because you don’t have to deal with resource acquisition, capacity planning, software maintenance, patching, or any of the other undifferentiated heavy lifting associated with running your application.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS provides you with a fully functional product that is operated and controlled by the service provider. Most people who use the term SaaS are referring to end-user apps (such as web-based email). You don’t have to worry about how the service is maintained or how the underlying infrastructure is managed when you use a SaaS provider. You merely need to consider how you intend to utilize the software.
Cloud Providers for Cloud Computing Services?
- Amazon WorkSpaces alternatives
- Microsoft Azure
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Although the above three are the major cloud providers, many companies are investing in this digital technology more often, so other cloud providers, including managed cloud service providers, are also gaining traction.
- IBM Cloud
- Alibaba Cloud
- iCloud (Apple)
Pro-features of Cloud Computing:
- On-demand services: This means services are available whenever or however there is a demand for them.
- Pay-as-you-go model: This means, a user needs to pay the rate of the service according to the amount of service used. Neither more nor less.
- No additional cost: When a user accesses cloud computing services, they are paying as much as the amount of service they would require. They do not need to take up the burden of paying the maintenance, security fees, teaching team, or recovery charges for the system used to provide the service.
- Agility: The cloud provides easy access to a wide range of technologies. It allows you to innovate faster and build practically anything you can dream of. You can swiftly provision infrastructure services like computation, storage, and databases, as well as the Internet of Things, machine learning, data lakes and analytics, and much more.
- Elasticity: You don’t have to over-provision resources for future peak levels of commercial activity with cloud computing. Instead, you only provision the resources that you truly require. You may instantly build and shrink capacity by scaling these resources up or down as your company needs change.
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Deploy globally in minutes: With the cloud, you can quickly grow to new geographic locations and deploy globally.
Example of cloud computing?
- In case you are a coder or programmer, you install several software and systems. The performance of this software is henceforth dependent on the size of the device or the processor. However, if you are interviewed for internships or placements in an IT company, then your coding skills are tested, and the tests are taken place on online platforms. On these platforms, the functioning of your code or its efficiency depends on the internet connectivity and the cloud computing services provided by the respective companies conducting the tests on the platforms.
- Before google photos arrived in the smartphone scenario, earlier individuals used to save all the pictures in their gallery (device/system memory). However, now with the help of google photos, everyone can upload the pictures there or to google drive and delete them from the device. The pictures (data) remain stored, here, Google Photos act as a cloud.
- Healthcare companies are using the cloud for developing more customized treatments that would cater to the individual’s specific needs.
- Finance companies are using cloud services to detect real-time fraud detection and prevention.
- Video game developers use the cloud to deliver online games.
Uses for Cloud Services:
Organizations of every size, type, and variety are using cloud computing services for a variety of uses such as:
- Data back-up
- Disaster recovery
- Virtual desktop
- Software developing
- Testing
- Data analytics, and
- Customer-facing web applications
Also read: What is the Importance of Java in Cloud Computing?
