Leon Joseph George

CLOUD COMPUTING Technology has brought a drastic change to our day-to-day life and a significant difference in human activities. Comparing the current scenario with what it was a decade ago tells us at what pace the technology is moving ahead and changing human life every day. One such technology that has been of great advantage to multinational organizations firms operating on large scale, small scale businesses, and even individuals is Cloud Computing. What is Cloud Computing Technically speaking it is an on-demand delivery of IT services/resources. Resources include databases, storage space, data security, data/disaster recovery, data analytics, data backup and, many more. Laying down it in simple words states that cloud computing provides all the above services without any establishment of server storage or traditional forms to secure data which involves a huge investment of time and money. Let’s get to know why Cloud Computing is a more suitable and preferred option over the traditional or on-premises setup by almost every organization. TRADITIONAL SETUP CLOUD COMPUTING • The server storage on company premises requires a lot of space for the setting up of server systems. • Cloud computing solutions are provided by cloud service providers and there is no physical equipment or space required. Saving money and space. • Huge maintenance and power costs to keep the system running. • No huge maintenance or power cost is involved, the amount is charged as we use the services. • Data security is a complicated combination of physical and traditional IT security measures. Still, the data is not completely secured. • Offers much better data security without constant monitoring and managing the security protocols. • In case of fire or any natural disaster, the data recovery or backup system in a traditional setup is very low. • Provides an effective, efficient, and robust data recovery in case of natural disaster. Cloud services provide more better and accurate data recovery. • Traditional setup provides limited services and to increase the services, space, as well as huge expenditure, is incurred. • Unlimited services are provided by cloud service providers and we only pay for the services we use. • Examples of service providers include Google Cloud, Slack, Dropbox, Amazon web services, Microsoft Azure, etc MODELS OF CLOUD COMPUTING Cloud Computing provides majorly 2 types of models. • • Deployment Model Service Model Let’s discuss in detail about these models. 1. DEPLOYMENT MODEL - This model contains 3 different sub-models, which includes• Public Cloud – Under this model, the cloud service is available to the public over the internet. • Private Cloud - As by the word private it means the services are solely provided to the respective firm/individual. The cloud infrastructure is exclusively operated by the organization/individual. • Hybrid Cloud – This service is a combination of both public and private clouds which includes the functionalities of both the clouds. 2. SERVICE MODEL – This model also contains 3 different sub-models, which includes – • IaaS - It is a cloud service model where users get access to basic computing infrastructure. It is a service where functions are divided equally between the organization and the cloud service provider. Application, date, runtime, middleware, etc are managed by the organization whereas remaining services like storage, servers, and networking are managed by the cloud providers. • PaaS – This model allows businesses to develop, test, and manage applications. It is most beneficial for organizations that are into developing software applications. Also, the organisation needs to maintain the application and data, the rest of the services are maintained by Cloud service providers. • SaaS – It involves hosting and managing applications. Most beneficial for organizations that are not interested in owning any IT equipment as all the services are satisfied by the cloud service providers. Cloud Computing is being used across various industries to provide personalized experiences and services. Healthcare companies and super specialty hospitals are using the cloud to develop more personalized treatment and experience for patients. Another major and important industry in cloud computing is financial service companies which are using it to power and detect any real-time fraud detection. Another growing industry which is gaming is using the cloud to provide online gaming experience to millions of people across the globe in real-time. ADVANTAGES OF CLOUD COMPUTING • • • Reduced cost and time. Business and organizational functions become more agile. Effective and efficient information deployment to the users within seconds. • • • Access to a broad range of technologies Innovation and creativity at their best. Anything can be achieved from infrastructure services to machine learning to the internet of things and much more. Cloud Computing has made the world a much smaller place, as even sitting miles away the deployment and retrieving of data and information is so fast that it makes us feel like the information was sent by a person sitting right next to us. No matter your location, industry or size the cloud sets us free from managing information and data center and focus on aspects that are more important to the business.