Embracing Cloud Computing
“[The] Cloud is about how you do computing, not where you do computing.”
–Paul Maritz, VMware CEO
Cloud computing has been around for quite some time and has had a steady effect on the way we do business. In layman’s terms, cloud computing is the delivery of different computing services (including servers, storage, databases, networking, and software) through the internet aka “the cloud”.
While it may have taken some time for businesses to embrace the cloud, we see how much it has recently flourished, especially in a more digital working world. Check out these stats gathered by explodingtopics.com that support this:
- The cloud applications market is currently worth over $150 billion
- It is predicted that there will be 200 ZB of stored data in the cloud by 2025
- It is forecasted that in 2023, $200 Billion will be spent on SaaS, $150 billion on IaaS, and $136 billion on PaaS
- 54% of global tech leaders want a cloud service provider who identifies technology strategies that are meant to increase revenue and reduce cost
- Post-COVID, 41.4% of cloud leaders say they are increasing their uses of cloud-based services, 33.4% are planning to migrate to cloud-based tools and 32.8% are migrating on-premises workloads to the cloud
Cloud computing can bring a lot to businesses and proves popular for the ones that are ready to embrace growth, performance, and stability. Some of the immediate benefits businesses can experience from making the switch are:
Cost Savings
The initial switch to cloud services can be off-putting but its ROI makes it worth it. Hosting the cloud lets you offload costs on purchasing, installing, configuring, and managing on-premises infrastructures. Also, most cloud-computing services offer pay-as-you-go options ensuring you only pay for what you need, and the overall easy access saves time and money.
Flexibility
Due to the nature of cloud computing, businesses can access cloud services from anywhere, from any device, at any time. Not only that, but the cloud can also be easily scaled up or down to match what a business needs at that time.
Security
Businesses can see up to 94% improvement in security when switching to the cloud because one of the main features of cloud-based services is full-time security monitoring. Security monitoring could be extremely limited if it was strictly in-house, but once switched to an off-site, encrypted, and automated security monitoring, your information will never be safer.
Disaster Recovery
One incredible benefit of the cloud is disaster recovery. Data and information stored in the cloud are safe from any physical emergencies such as natural disasters or power outages. Cloud-based services also provide quick data recovery allowing for less downtime which leads to less productivity and revenue loss due to disaster scenarios.
Better Insight & Quality Control
Poor quality and inconsistent reporting can hurt a business but with cloud-based systems, all documents are stored in one place in one format allowing everyone to access and edit the same information in real-time allowing businesses to maintain consistency and have a clear record of revisions or updates. In addition, many cloud-based services also offer customized reports for a bird’s eye view of your most critical data.
Sustainability
Cloud computing has a direct effect on the environment by cutting down on paper and waste. With data stored in the cloud and not as physical copies your information not only takes up less space physically but addresses wastefulness at every level of business and results in less of a carbon footprint.
Cloud computing is great for maintaining a competitive edge as a growing business and is relatively user-friendly, but there are a few basics you need to know before implementing the best infrastructure for your business. To ensure you get the best cloud experience possible, you need to decide between:
The Four Basic Infrastructure Types
Public Cloud Infrastructures are maintained off-site. They are available to the public while data is created off-premises. This cloud infrastructure has less security but requires no need to buy or manage software and maintain efficiency.
Private Cloud Infrastructures are managed in-house and can only be accessed by a single organization. This method can address and handle security and privacy concerns more effectively.
Community Cloud Infrastructures can support multiple businesses by sharing resources as a part of a community. This method closely resembles the private model and can support a large number of users who share in the costs.
Hybrid Cloud Infrastructures are a mix of public, private, and hybrid. Combining the efficiency of public, the support of community, and the security of private, hybrids offer the best of all three methods.
The Three Delivery Methods
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a software distribution model where the provider delivers applications through a web-based portal and is a pay-as-you-go model. Utilizing this model eliminates the need to buy hardware and software licenses while having your provider manage and store data.
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) delivers the full cloud infrastructure along with a software platform that allows clients to develop and manage business applications without the frustrations of building and maintaining the infrastructure.
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) has the capability to deliver networking, data storage, servers, and virtualization capabilities while allowing the client to access more data storage and computing power.
Once you pick the right infrastructure and delivery method, your business can begin to really reap the benefits of cloud computing and help bring your business to a new level. If you are ready to learn more about cloud computing or ready to have it in your business, contact us today at MMIT so that we can get you on the right path to ensure your business gets the full benefits of cloud computing.