The Ultimate Guide to Cloud Infrastructure (Cloud Computing)
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In this article, we will take a detailed look at the concept of cloud computing, focusing on the use of cloud infrastructure, different types of cloud computing, service models, benefits, costs for businesses, and how to choose a cloud solution for your business needs.
What is cloud computing and how does it work?
As a consumer, at some point you must have used Google Drive or Office 365 for personal or professional use. Even mobile apps like Netflix are great examples of cloud streaming. To define the cloud, we can refer to it as the practice of using remote servers to store, manage, and process data instead of traditional computer storage. When the data is stored on the server, it can be accessed from anywhere at any time.
If we look at the graph from 2011 to 2022, the global growth of public cloud services increased from 20.8% to 29.3% in 2020. Additionally, the market is expected to grow by 20.4% by the end of 2022, reaching $495 billion in revenue. . Because of this, you can imagine how quickly businesses are actively trying to integrate cloud services into their ecosystem to achieve agility and flexibility.
When it comes to cloud operation, organizations need to decentralize their network by converting it to a shared network. Hosting providers take responsibility for maintaining cloud services. Some organizations sign a service package with mobile application development companies to take care of cloud services. Whichever hosting company you choose, they are further responsible for maintaining security and connectivity to the data centers.
The most popular cloud service providers are Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Teams in an organization can work on multiple projects live from remote locations. Managers can manage projects and check progress or easily communicate with their team members.
What are the uses of cloud computing?
The use of cloud computing shows strong reasons for companies to transform their operations to cloud models. Below are the uses of cloud computing that help organizations grow.
Saving files
Cloud computing provides a robust file storage system that can be accessed by authorized parties anytime, anywhere. An efficient user experience makes the process of storing, accessing, modifying and deleting data easy for organizations. Meanwhile, the file storage service remains on-demand and can be upgraded at any time according to companies' requirements.
Communication and collaboration
Cloud services offer companies an efficient way of communication. Gone are the days when companies relied on an email system to communicate. For example, applications such as Skype and Microsoft Teams have given preference to cloud infrastructure. From sharing files to hosting meetings, everything is available on-demand to employees and corporate users.
Backup and disaster recovery
Saving files to computer storage is definitely the fastest file management process. However, you must constantly back up data to multiple storage devices for disaster recovery. Cloud computing also offers an automatic backup service. And organizations don't have to worry about losing their important data.
Big Data Analytics
Cloud computing offers businesses futuristic use cases. Since data is one of the key elements for organizational growth, companies want to use data to leverage their business goals. The cloud infrastructure integrates big data analytics tools for the organization to provide business insights.
Software development and testing
Losing code due to a power outage is a common problem that organizations faced before the advent of cloud technology. Today, mobile app developers and web developers use cloud-based IDEs to build and test apps.
What are the different types of cloud computing?
Cloud service providers have their own way of implementing cloud solutions for businesses. Due to these different approaches, cloud computing is divided into several types.
Private Cloud
You can imagine what a private cloud is just by the name. Private clouds are internal business models managed by the organization itself. However, it is also managed by service providers, but is maintained on a private network operating only on the company's internal assets. No one outside the company has access to the private cloud. A survey of technical professionals found that 37% of professionals use the Microsoft Azure stack. Private clouds are priced higher compared to public clouds because they are highly secure.
Public cloud
Public clouds are available to the general public because data is stored on third-party servers. In the end, the owners of the cloud are the service providers, and the users using the service do not have to worry about its maintenance. Public clouds like IBM cloud and Google app engine are widely used for application development, testing, file exchange and much more.
Hybrid cloud
Public and private cloud models combine to create a hybrid cloud infrastructure. Basically, this model is widely used by enterprises to quickly scale their infrastructure by leveraging the performance of both public and private cloud infrastructure. For example, when the load of the private cloud is high, then the resources of the public cloud are used so that the company can meet the high traffic demands of the users.
Community cloud
Communities such as universities and government agencies use community cloud infrastructure. Users are essentially from the same industry and share files between their networks. The system is flexible with quality security.
What are the different cloud service models?
Companies can save up to 30% of resources when they sw The Ultimate Guide to Cloud Infrastructure (Cloud Computing) itch to cloud infrastructure. Here are the different types of cloud service models you can offer or use as a business.
Software as a service
A cloud service provider takes care of managing your software, infrastructure and securing your infrastructure. Generally, applications are hosted on the web where users can log in from anywhere and on any device.
Infrastructure as a service
Businesses need hardware to run their processes efficiently. And this hardware needed to be maintained from time to time, which costs the company so much. With infrastructure as a service, businesses only need to pay a subscription and all hardware needs are provided by the service provider. However, you are always in control of your infrastructure.
Platform as a Service
Basically, when you build apps, you need a specific platform to start over. You either start from scratch or buy it as a service. However, starting from scratch will cost you more compared to buying as a service. Platform-as-a-Service provides a basic foundation for building applications so businesses can save money and not worry about basic setup.
What are the benefits of using cloud computing?
Businesses enjoy numerous benefits by using cloud computing. Here are the main benefits of using cloud computing in your infrastructure.
Reduced operating costs
When you then opt for cloud computing needs, you indirectly reduce costs. A company doesn't need to hire people to manage its cloud infrastructure. All they have to do is pay a cloud service provider and they will take care of all their needs.
Increased productivity
What could be better than running an organization that runs on the cloud, where employees can work live on networks and monitor changes? Furthermore, team leaders can better share information with team members and effectively monitor them. Overall, it will undoubtedly increase the overall productivity of the organization.
Better security
From no worries about disaster recovery to authorizing users to access information, cloud computing provides businesses with a strong security model. Businesses don't have to worry about system failure because everything stays on the web. Recovery is all you need to get back to work. In addition, cloud service providers integrate strong security against data theft and unauthorized access.
Modern work environment
Who wants to work with specific hardware requirements? Digital transformation enables remote working where the server's hardware requirements are shared with its user's computer via the web. Brings a positive work culture.
How to choose the best cloud computing solution?
There are several questions you need to answer when choosing the best cloud computing solution for you. Here is a list of questions to ask for a better cloud computing choice.
Identify the needs of your business.
Research cloud computing service providers.
What certificates does the cloud service provider have?
Will the services offered by cloud service providers align with my organization's culture and ecosystem?
Does the cloud service provider honestly follow government policies?
What level of security does the cloud service provider offer?
What are the costs of cloud computing infrastructure?
All cloud infrastructure providers work on different models and have their own prices, so it is not possible to give a fixed price. However, typical cloud storage costs start from $10 to $50 per user. However, you definitely need to pay for external services as a business, such as a high level of security as mentioned above. Therefore, we recommend that you consult with cloud service providers to get an accurate quote.
Frequently asked questions
Q1. Should I use cloud computing for my businesses?
Yes, cloud computing will provide the required flexibility of your infrastructure. Cloud computing is a modern trend and offers some great benefits to businesses.
Q2. What are the benefits of cloud computing for businesses?
Cloud computing offers modern infrastructure for your business. You don't have to worry about viewing your data, and team members can work on multiple projects together, offering team leaders better project organization.
Q3. What are the costs of integrating cloud computing into the infrastructure?
Different businesses take different approaches to cloud computing. For example, public, private, and community cloud rates differ. Furthermore, if you have customized requirements, this will also change your total cost. So you need to check the prices on the official website of your desired cloud service partner.
Q4. What are the different types of cloud computing models?
There are three types of cloud computing models; public, private and community cloud models. Private cloud computing is beneficial for companies that want to integrate cloud systems into their internal environment. Public clouds are best if you want to offer something in the cloud to your users. Community clouds are heavily used by government agencies.
Q5. How will cloud computing bring value to my business?
Cloud computing reduces the costs of organizations to maintain hardware services. Thanks to the power of cloud technology, businesses can enjoy the benefits of better security and remote data access.
Q6. What businesses need to adopt cloud computing?
Businesses operating as data centers must embrace cloud computing. If you collect, process and analyze data as your primary task, this technology will offer the security of backing up all the necessary data.