We hear the term "cloud computing" virtually every day. But, in reality, what is cloud computing all about? That appears to be a common query. TELUS and IDC Canada conducted a cloud computing study in June of this year, surveying 200 Canadian business and IT executives and directors at large Canadian organisations (500+ people) across a variety of industry sectors. According to the study, 63% of Canadian organisations asked did not have enough or just had a basic degree of expertise to decide whether to employ a cloud service or their internal IT department. Meet here cloud computing in london
According to a recent eweek.com story, there is also a lot of misunderstanding about cloud computing. The article mentions a recent survey commissioned by Citrix Systems that included over 1000 persons in the United States. According to the findings of the survey, most people associate clouds with weather. 51% of respondents believed that weather could disrupt cloud computing. Despite the confusion, the study indicated that 97% of participants currently use cloud services, such as online banking, shopping, social networks, and file sharing. Furthermore, 59% of respondents believe that the "workplace of the future" will be in the cloud, which is rather paradoxical given the current prevalence of cloud computing.
This observation above is consistent with what we observe among our own clientele. Because knowledge of cloud computing is still restricted, firms may be missing out on major chances to strengthen their business by decreasing cost and risk. We hope that this article has given you enough information on cloud computing to help you decide if it is right for your business.
What exactly is cloud computing?
To begin, it's helpful to understand where the term "cloud computing" originated. It most likely arose from the representation of a networked computing system or the internet using a cloud image.
A fast Google search yields several meanings for cloud computing. I prefer a Wikipedia description of cloud computing that defines it as "the delivery of computing as a service in which shared resources, software, and information are delivered to computers and other devices as a utility, akin to the electrical grid, across a network that is most typically the internet."
What are the many types of cloud computing models?
Understanding the various cloud service models, of which there are three - software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) - might help clear up some of the uncertainty around cloud computing (IaaS).
The most well-known type of cloud service is SaaS. On-demand software is another term for SaaS. Software and its associated data are centrally hosted using SaaS and are often accessed via the internet via a browser. What are some SaaS examples? MailChimp, the software we use to send out newsletters, is one example. Google Apps is another example, as is Dropbox, and the list is growing.
PaaS delivers a computing platform and the necessary solutions to enable application deployment without the need to invest in the expense and complexity of hardware and software. Microsoft Azure and Google App Engine are two instances of PaaS.
Clients can avoid purchasing servers, software, data centre space, and network equipment by using the IaaS service model. Such resources are offered as a completely outsourced service. Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud and Rackspace are two examples of IaaS.
In addition to the numerous cloud service models, understanding the delivery methods via which cloud computing is disseminated is beneficial. The most common delivery models are public, private, community, and hybrid.
A public cloud is often controlled by a major business that sells cloud services and provides infrastructure and solutions to the broader public.
A private cloud is intended for a single enterprise. A private cloud can be managed by the business that utilises it or by a third party, and the infrastructure might be situated on the cloud user's site or somewhere else.
A community cloud is shared by numerous organisations and serves as a resource for a community of users who share a common interest, such as regulatory issues.
A hybrid cloud model is made up of two or more clouds, such as a public and private cloud, that are linked by technology to promote data sharing and portability. A hybrid cloud computing option is Egnyte, a file storage and sharing service.
What are some of the advantages of cloud computing?
I took part in a webinar earlier this year that had a round table of CFOs discussing what they thought were the primary benefits of cloud computing. Among the advantages mentioned were the following:
Cost savings over on-site installations Access from anywhere, at any time, via an Internet connection
Reduced reliance on IT support
Cloud solutions are typically faster to deploy than on-premise systems.
Cloud solutions often allow enterprises to invest in a larger product with far more capabilities, which would be prohibitively expensive if obtained through a non-cloud on-site solution.
Because infrastructure management is shifting to the cloud provider, IT can focus more on value-added activities rather than managing IT infrastructure.
Cloud solutions generally help with the following:
More up-to-date financial data
Process optimization in business
Connecting with employees and allowing employees to work remotely
What are some of the risks and issues with cloud computing?
Despite the benefits, there are a number of typical worries about cloud computing. Whether you are researching cloud or on-premise solutions, it is critical to carefully assess the dangers that could harm your sensitive information. In doing so, it is also critical to weigh the risks associated with cloud solutions against the risks connected with on-premise options.
The most common issue is one of safety. Security using cloud solutions is often superior than on-site solutions for most small and medium-sized businesses because credible cloud solution providers can invest in the skill sets and capabilities needed to handle emerging and developing threats. Many small and medium-sized businesses rely on part-time IT support or do not have any dedicated IT support at all. This, paired with continually increasing IT dangers, would imply that most small and medium-sized businesses simply cannot keep up with threats to their information assets. To address security issues, a trustworthy cloud provider should be able to provide the following assurances:
Data access - There should be a strict authentication process that all users must go through in order to access their data.
Data should be encrypted during transmission from your local site to the cloud service provider.
Network - To safeguard the cloud provider's network, strong security should be in place.
Physical access - The cloud provider should be able to demonstrate strong physical access controls to the facilities where your data will be stored.
Data security -The cloud provider should be able to guarantee that your data is encrypted while "at rest" in the cloud.
Privacy and Compliance - Your cloud provider should be able to provide assurance that it can secure your information's privacy while also complying with any regulations and legislation that may be applicable to your organisation.
Another issue to consider is the availability of cloud solutions. The impact of a cloud solution being unavailable due to circumstances such as an internet outage or a technical failure by the cloud provider must be assessed. Again, such concerns should be addressed in the proper setting. Internet disruptions, particularly long-term outages, are infrequent. Reputable cloud services frequently display very high levels of uptime performance, and if problems arise, competent resources are readily accessible to address them. How does this scenario stack up against the dangers associated with your on-site alternative? What has your experience been with downtime with on-site solutions, and can you obtain 24/7 help if you have a serious problem? The deployment of a hybrid cloud approach can also help to reduce availability issues. Egnyte has previously been mentioned as an example of a hybrid cloud model for file sharing and storage. If the internet goes down, you will still have a local copy of your data available.
Data access is cited as a risk in two scenarios. The first is how can I get my data back if I leave my cloud provider. Another concern is what would happen if my cloud provider went out of business. Such answers should be readily available from your cloud provider and documented in your end user agreement. It is critical to examine what format your data will be available in if you attempt to retrieve it from your cloud provider. Consider that if you use a cloud-based accounting solution, your data may not be returned to you in the same manner that you input it.
Data backups are one last thing to consider. In our experience with smaller firms, it is not uncommon to find no backup procedures or difficulties with them, such as backups not being saved offsite or restoration from untested backups. Reputable cloud solutions mitigate this danger, and many cloud providers have many backup locations in case a single site fails.