Cloud computing

represent innovative resources that encourage, improves and automates current operation systems by transferring the inhouse data and application systems onto a Virtual Machine (VM).

Cloud computing - introduces a major change on how companies employ computer systems for data storage today. These systems allow companies to employ VM’s for application and utility rather than overloading the physical machines. Which in turn, allows them to work faster. The cloud has brought change even to Born-Digital companies that have a complete inhouse infrastructure. These companies have now decided for the switch and shift onto cloud thus, taking advantage of the benefits that cloud computing has to offer.

Why should you choose cloud computing?

Cloud computing represents a major change in the way companies employ computer systems for data storage today. Cloud systems grant you secure storage access and safeguard your data while enabling you to employ your applications without the need of accumulation on your physical machines. Better, more productive individuals allowing them to transfer data and have access to it from different parts of the world, without the fear of running out of the physical machines capacity. As long as there is connection to the internet the access to information will be available and accessible. Reduced over-time and overall investments further allowing for flexibility, data accessibility and scalability.

By allowing employees to be more flexible in their work practices. For example, you have the ability to access data from home, on holiday, or via the commute to and from work (providing you have an Internet connection). If you need access to your data while you are out of the office, you can connect to your virtual office, quickly and easily. Cloud computing grants equal and efficient access to your associates (that are approved), while leaving behind unnecessary installations and heavy physical machines as redundant actions. Finally, collaboration within the cloud environment gives your business the ability to communicate and share easily outside of the traditional methods.

In particular, it makes it possible to smooth overtime investments necessary for the technological transition and data transfer, by outsourcing the ownership and management of the servers. Whether you experience a natural disaster, power failure or other crisis, having your data stored in the cloud ensures it is backed up and protected in a secure and safe location. Being able to access your data again quickly allows you to conduct business as usual, minimizing any downtime and loss of productivity.

As we know from our own user experience

Computer applications have been designed and set up to work and turn on computer storage and network resources. This way of working today is obsolete, requiring hosting on premises and an IT department in place to handle broken machines and malfunctioning applications. The cloud lowers the costs, effectively favoring and offering SME’s a more equal seat with corporations which can afford to build their own cloud on premises. Moreover, granting prompt access to resources without the need of an upfront investment, which helps swift time into the market for SME’s. The ability to use physical machines without their need to run heavy applications breaks the boundaries of IT innovations, smoothing the way alongside, meantime scaling up the lather.

Adopting and operating cloud computing systems allows companies to reduce overtime and overall costs and more:

  • Enables users to work easily
  • Offers security through – centralized management and security solutions
  • Collaborate easily by closing the gap of space-time
  • Release physical machines of their overload and overworked out-of-space ways
  • Scaling up and down as necessary suited
  • Improve IT implementation in business and increase work capacities without the overload of data storage
  • Remarkable decrease in costs and overall investments
  • Through the use of cloud computing tools SME’s are offered a more balanced seat with corporation that possess an on premises cloud
  • Grants prompt access to hardware resources without requiring upfront investments
  • Breaks boundaries of innovation smoothing the way for scaling up
  • Light weighting your physical machines that used to run all your applications, allowing them to run effortlessly
  • Accelerated speed machines as a cause of weight lifting applications
  • Pay per use systems allowing you to grow with ease
  • Allows for flexibility of workload while leaving aside redundant resources
  • Time-saving and flexible in migrating workloads from and to the cloud as desired, this process can also be automated saving time and costs.
Models of cloud computing

At the moment there are three major deployment models of cloud computing systems

  • Private cloud

    • Has a company-managed and designed infrastructure
    • The servers of private cloud run within the company’s premises and its own data center – the physical machines running the cloud servers are actually located on the premises of the enterprise, allowing instantaneous control of the cloud infrastructure.
    • It is designed and managed to suit the structure and applications of the specific company
    • It is costly and unnecessary for SME’s if they can’t have the complete value of the private cloud.
    • Private cloud computing model is most suitable to large enterprises where running own system designed and operated inhouse allowing for a holistic approach of IT infrastructure improvements.
  • Public cloud

    • In the public cloud the cloud infrastructure is managed by an external provider;
    • The provider of the public cloud gives remote access to the resources available on the public cloud environment through the Internet connection;
    • This model of cloud does not require companies to have a cloud running server on premises;
    • The servers, updates and all other issues are dealt with at a cloud level, not on company’s premises;
    • It has a multi-occupant kind of structure and design;
    • Functions on a pay-as-you-go model;
    • The public cloud can be a useful tool for SME’s allowing them to employ just the tools necessary to their company and have remote access to otherwise applications that are costlier if they are on the company grounds.
  • Hybrid cloud

    • This model of the cloud represents a mixture of the two previous cloud models, private and public.
    • In the hybrid cloud a combination of resources coming from both private and public cloud platforms helping them interact and work together smoothly.
    • When employing hybrid cloud, we allow a workflow between the private and public cloud having one party public and the other on premises that can be better controlled by in house IT team or manager.
    • “(Hybrid) cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or more distinct cloud infrastructures (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities, but are bound together by standardized or proprietary technology that enables data and application portability“ - National Institute for Standards in Technology (NIST)
Types of services cloud has to offer

Despite the fact that cloud computing is in continuous development and might later offer alternative services, for now there are three main types: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS).

Infrastructure as a Service

the foundation of your infrastructure in the cloud, providing access to networking capabilities, computers (virtual dedicated hardware) and data storage.

Within the IaaS model cloud provider gives the company a virtual server instance, storage and an application programming interface allowing them to move their data and applications onto VM. Companies have the opportunity to purchase the storage they require for their workload and configure that as they please customizing access and configurations as desired.

IaaS concerns especially companies that aren’t worried about storing their information in third party’s data storage centers. To better focus on controlling and developing their business they prefer outsourcing their IT infrastructure. IaaS satisfies the need for storage of data center, virtualization, networking and serves as compute engine.

Platform as a Service

this cloud service solution frees you the owner of the business from having the load of managing the underlying infrastructure of hardware and operating systems.

In the PaaS model, cloud providers host development tools on their infrastructures. Users access these tools over the internet using APIs, web portals or gateway software. PaaS is used for general software development, and many PaaS providers host the software after it's developed. PaaS satisfies the need for application platforms, its database, development and the necessary integrations. Thus, if you need your applications to be portable you should think of storing your code onto the PaaS model that supply you with hidden infrastructure setting.

Software as a Service

when speaking of software as a service we refer to software executed and managed by a service provider.

The SaaS model refers to the distribution of software from different service providers of software, being able to share technology without having the necessity of owning the software and having to pay often very expensive to acquire it. To better understand the use of the SaaS is to think of how we employ Microsoft Office 365, better yet a service that allows us to rent/subscribe too, centrally hosted productivity software. SaaS satisfy certain customer relationship management (CRM) use applications, takes care of business management, security of tools as they are online based and employed when necessary.