Want to use your computing power, storage, and databases in a way that is cost-effective? Use cloud computing. It lets you rent out technology services such as computing power, storage, and databases on an as-needed basis from a cloud provider like Amazon Web Services (AWS). Cloud computing provides a new level of access to IT and developers. Developers can focus on what matters most, and IT sections have the opportunity to avoid undifferentiated work like procurement, maintenance, and capacity planning.

Who is Using Cloud Computing?

Organizations of all types, sizes and industries are using the cloud to do a variety of different things. Cloud computing can help organizations redirect their efforts while they shift knowledge toward cloud-based solutions. They, can use it to backup files, do data disaster recovery, accomplish email services, handle virtual desktops in office space by creating software development and testing environments running amongst others. For example, healthcare companies are using the cloud to develop more personalized treatments for patients. Financial services companies are using the cloud to power real-time fraud detection and prevention. And video game makers are using the cloud to deliver online games to millions of players around the world.

Benefits of Cloud Computing

About Cloud Computing

Agility

The cloud lets you access a vast world of possible resources so you can innovate faster. It lets you easily set up resources, such as compute, storage, and databases, plus the Internet of Things, machine learning, data lakes, and analytics. You can get started in minutes.

You can easily deploy new technologies without development or organizational change. In seconds, you’ll get from idea to implementation several orders of magnitude faster than before. This gives you the freedom to experiment, test new ideas, and transform your business.

Elasticity

With cloud computing, your business can avoid over-provisioning resources because you can quickly add or remove more resources when your business is really booming. You need only enough resources to handle the current levels of activity.

Cost savings

The cloud allows you to trade capital expenses such as data centers and physical servers, for variable expenses, only pay for what you use. Plus the variable expenses are much lower than what you would pay to do it all in-house.

Deploy globally in minutes

With the cloud, you can expand to new geographic regions and deploy globally in minutes. You can also use it for disaster recovery. All of this is possible without having to worry about complex system administration issues or infrastructure.

Types of Cloud Computing

About Cloud Computing

Different types of cloud services give customers the levels of control, flexibility, and management they need. Understanding the differences between Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service, as well as what deployment strategies each service offers can help you decide what set of services is right for your needs.

Cloud Computing Models

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Infrastructure as a Service, abbreviated as IaaS, contains the basic building blocks for cloud IT and typically provides access to networking features, computers (virtual or on dedicated hardware), and data storage space. Infrastructure as a Service provides you with the highest level of flexibility and management control over your IT resources, which often partnered with standard cloud services by providing internet access to various devices. and is most similar to existing IT resources that many IT departments and developers are familiar with today.  It is the fastest-growing service on the market today.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Platforms as a service remove the need for organizations to manage and control their underlying infrastructure. You can easily focus on what matters – developing, deploying, and running your applications. This helps you be more efficient as you don’t need to worry about resource procurement, capacity planning, software maintenance, patching, or any of the other undifferentiated heavy lifting.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software as a Service is an IT solution for modern businesses that provides a finished product that is run and managed by the service provider. Depending on the purpose, people may refer to Software as a Service as end-user applications, devices, or services. With a SaaS offering, your only concern is how to use the software. SaaS contract structures make it easy for service providers to provide software in many different areas and at rates that are constant and reliable. A common example of a SaaS application is web-based email where you can send and receive email without having to manage feature additions to the email product or maintaining the servers and operating systems that the email program is running on.

Cloud Computing Deployment Models

Cloud

A cloud-based application is entirely deployed in the cloud and all parts of the application run in the cloud. Applications in the cloud have either been created in the cloud or migrated from an existing infrastructure to take advantage of the benefits of a cloud-based application. Cloud-based applications can be built on low-level infrastructure pieces or use higher-level services that provide a solution.

Hybrid

A hybrid deployment means connecting infrastructure and applications between cloud-based resources and existing resources that are not located in the cloud. The most common method of hybrid deployment is between the cloud and existing on-premises infrastructure to extend, and grow, an organization’s infrastructure into the cloud while connecting cloud resources to the internal system.

On-premises

Deploying resources on-premises, using virtualization and resource management tools, is called “private cloud”. On-premises deployment does not provide many of the benefits of cloud computing but is sometimes sought for its ability to provide dedicated resources. On-prem has traditionally been used when an organization cannot afford the capital implications of a public cloud service model or has operational concerns.