Understanding Cloud Computing and Its Benefits for Beginners

The term ‘cloud computing’ has become a catchall phrase in the current generation hence defining it is rather simple. Without your knowledge, cloud computing is already an important part of the files you store, the videos you watch or the apps you use. But what is cloud computing? As an instant messaging client that has grown to become aforall in ones technology endeavour, what does that term mean and why is it so central? In the following article, I aim to clear the fog that surrounds cloud computing and discuss its main varieties and advantages to make it easy for novices to chop it down.

What Is Cloud Computing? – A Simple Definition

In its simplest definition cloud computing is the practice of using the internet to access and use computing services. Unlike having own own physical hardware or local servers, cloud computing permits users to convey computing resources over the internet through distant data centers.To give it a real life context, cloud computing implies that your data, application, and services are not anchored on your computer or a single device. These are cloud hosted in nature, which is a computer network that is accessed through the World Wide Web. Technology and particularly cloud computing has changed the way that individuals and companies engage with technological solutions. It provides flexibility, scalability and a number of services which were unavailable earlier to small business or a user without incurring a huge cost.

Cloud Computing Definition: Understanding the Basics

Nevertheless, in an even broader perspective, cloud computing means reliance on the physical internet to host and share application and data files instead a local server or pc. This enables users to retrieve applications and data from any other web enabled gadget in any part of the world.The concept of cloud technology or cloud computing by definition has meant a paradigm shift in the way business now organize and manage physical systems. Originally, a great amount of money has to be spent on servers, hardware, and their maintenance, but now as many resources in the cloud as needed can be leased.

Types of Cloud Computing: Exploring the Options

In talking of the various categories of the cloud computing, it is also good to know that cloud services are not generic. Vendors develop different types of cloud computing depending on the requirements of different users or businesses. The basic set of cloud computing types includes the following: the public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud, and community cloud.A public cloud refers to a cloud in which services such as storage and computation services are offered to the public over the web. These services are offered by third party players such AWS, MS Azure and Google Cloud etc. Public clouds are cheaper and ideal for organizations, which may not need that flexibility of designing their infrastructure.Private cloud, on the other hand, is an infrastructure that employs in the management of the entirety of its resources in the formation of cloud computing services by only one organization. This can be assumed in-house or by a third party service provider. The benefits of the private cloud are that it allows organizations to have more control over the data and the services, that is why it may be more helpful for organizations who handle sensitive information or are in need of particular security solutions.The hybrid cloud is a system that contains the public and private cloud, so that data and applications can be transferred between them. This provides business advantage in terms of flexibility and optimization of already existing structures. The use of hybrid clouds is loosely interconnected with business needs to address and store private information while benefiting from public cloud services at the same time.The community cloud is one that is used by a number of organizations that may have related interest or needs. This setup is well suited to organizations that are of similar nature, and therefore, are faced with similar issues such as compliance as well as security. It enables them to develop a coalesced balance of services by associating but at the same time still have some amount of control over different data and applications.

Cloud Solutions: The Different Options Available

When considering types of cloud solutions, there are several service models that allow defining how users can utilize cloud solutions. IaaS or Infrastructure as a Service PaaS or Platform as a Service and SaaS or Software as a Service are the three major cloud solutions.Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) enables clients to obtain IT utilities on demand on a utility consumption model. These include Data Processing Element; Data Storage Element; and Data Communications Element. Cloud service providers such as Amazon web service (AWS) and Microsoft Azure provide IaaS where users are free to set up virtual machines, storage devices among other resources but without regard to the physical equipment.Platform as a Service (PaaS) is the provision of environment that allows developers to develop, deploy and run their applications. It provides support for application development through providing software development environment required in constructing software applications but without having to deal with the underlying hardware or operating systems. Currently, Google App Engine and Microsoft Azure are well known PaaS providers.Among these, Software as a Service (SaaS) is the most familiar and easy to use form of cloud computing. With SaaS, users can access powerful software applications online through a flexible subscription model, eliminating the need for installations or maintenance. These applications are deployed and are managed by cloud service providers; users can use the applications through a web browser. Examples include Google apps which include Google workspace, outlook from the Microsoft 365 family, and dropbox.

What Is Cloud Computing with Example?

For example, suppose you rely on Google Drive as the place where you save and work with your documents. They are not stored locally in your computer hard disk but in the cloud which is actually a Google controlled remote server. It lets you get at the files from any machine that is online, including any phone, laptop or tab, without moving data physically from one machine to the other.This is perhaps the easiest example of cloud computing at work. The service is elastic (which means that you can purchase more storage as and when you need to, which most cloud providers like Amazon S3 currently allows), secure (your data is encoded) and portable (which means you can get to the data any time anywhere as long as you have the correct authentication details).

Advantages of Cloud Computing: Why It's Popular

Another advantage which attracts almost everyone to adopt cloud computing is the cost saving. Traditional IS by definition, there is a heavy capital commitment in hardware and software. To the potential client, cloud computing is economically sound as he uses what he wants and the cost of running a large data centre. This advantage is of great significance for start-ups as well as the small firms since they can access superior enterprise solutions at cheaper cost than they would have had to make when sourcing for such a technology.The other advantage is that the information is easily flexible and very easily accessible. A strength of the cloud technology is that is born out of the internet platform; thus, it engulfs flexibility whereby one can access data and or applications at the comfort of any part of the world. And they can do so from home, at the office or wherever they are provided they can get to the internet.Another advantage is that DR and backup is compelling in this environment for disaster recovery; one does not have to argue with the operating system about minimum backups. A third benefit that arises from the application of Cloud based services is that a data back up and disaster recovery plan is always put in place. If there is a failure at the hardware level then the data in case is not very much and since the time taken to correct the problem will not be very much, no greater amount of time will be lost. This helps to reduce data loss as the organization and its operations go on even in the middle of a calamity.

Conclusion: Embracing the Cloud

Concisely, cloud computing is a revolutionary model as far as interaction between users and technologies is concerned. Regardless of if an individual is keeping his or her documents on the cloud for personal reasons, or if an organization is running it’s operations on Cloud-Based and Cloud-Computing services, it’s hard to overemphasize the benefits of flexibility, scalability and economical benefits of cloud based solutions.It is always important for any beginner to have basic knowledge on what cloud computing is, how it is described, defined, or even the types of services that exist within cloud computing. Over the years, cloud has become a popular technology and over time it will as well experience newer, better solutions for businesses and consumers.Modern and progressive cloud enthusiasts stand before an array of sterling opportunities for furthering their goals. Therefore, the use of the cloud service is one of the best things one can opt for either as an individual in need of more storage space or as an organization that requires centralization of its IT department.