The “Cloud” has always been a term with a pretty nebulous definition in the minds of regular tech users. While you may have heard it many times up until now, you might not have realized how you are most probably using it in a few of its forms already. Whether you’re simply an individual with a smartphone or you’re someone who’s running their own business, we’re here to offer some clarifications on cloud computing technology.
What Is Cloud Computing?
The most direct and simple definition for cloud computing is a virtual platform that enables you to store, access, and retrieve your data on the internet. This is done through a network of remote servers hosted on the internet, which are owned by a company that rents this service for a price.
There are three different clouds that are hosted in servers that can be rented by companies depending on their size and requirements. The public cloud allows companies to rent and use the same storage, and the companies pay fees for the software, infrastructure, or whatever they need. The private cloud gives companies an opportunity to customize the storage, data, and software to their requirements. However, hybrid clouds allow companies to manage their information and transfer it from public to private clouds and vice versa. Integration of cloud computing into the workflow allows companies to concentrate their efforts on their goals while third-party specialists take care of data and storage security and maintain them.
The data stored on the Cloud can be anything ranging from simple text, video, or audio files to more complex structures such as apps and other types of software. This allows the end-user to have access to what they need from any device, without storing locally, as long as they have internet access.
What Are Some Cloud Computing Benefits?
Think of how you used to store all your photos and music on USB thumb drives or external hard drives, which are now all most likely lost or busted, or you never have them around when you actually need them. With cloud computing platforms such as Google Drive, or iCloud, you have all your files within easy reach, anywhere in the world. This way you can have more space on your device to play your favorite casino spiele kostenlos.
Among other cloud computing advantages, we can also count the lower costs. Whether you’re just trying to free up storage space on your phone or laptop without buying more USB sticks, or you’re trying to avoid the heavy costs of buying the hardware and software necessary to manage data for your company, you can definitely find a cheaper and more convenient solution through cloud computing.
We should also mention the benefit of productivity when it comes to setting up hardware and patching software for your company’s data center. With cloud computing, you can get direct access to such services without the need for any difficult on-site setup involving enormous electricity bills for cooling and power. On top of this, cloud computing platforms also offer personalized packages so you can make sure you’re only paying for as much as you actually need and use.
Cloud Computing: Everything You Need to Know About Cloud Computing
What Are The Best Cloud Computing Uses?
What Are The Best Cloud Computing Uses?
While the technology itself hasn’t been around for a very long time, the cloud computing industry is making progress in leaps and bounds to reliably offer more and more services and uses. Below we’ll look at the 5 most important ones right now and talk a bit about why they are so relevant in today’s tech landscape.
Use 1: File Storage
As we’ve mentioned before, one of the most straightforward uses of cloud computing is to store, access and edit, and retrieve your files on the internet, through a web interface that offers much higher availability than traditional storage options.
Renting cloud computing services from platforms such as DropBox, One Drive, Google Drive, or iCloud will offer you a great user experience, which you can further tailor to your needs by selecting specific packages and storage plans, so you only use what you need. The added benefit is that you can also safely and reliably back up your data while also benefiting from the cloud computing security which these platforms offer. Your data will not just be stored, but also protected by a number of advanced pieces of software and technology, making your losses minimal, even in case of disaster.
Use 2: Big Data Analytics
If you’re running any size company, as long as you have clients and offer a service, you should be gathering data on consumer trends and behavior and how they affect business performance.
In order to gather the data you need to analyze for your business to grow, you will need huge computational resources which can generally be very costly. However, should you rent these resources through cloud computing on platforms such as Amazon Web Services, using, and paying for what you need, when you need it, you’ll be saving up a lot of money which can then go towards research, development, or marketing.
Use 3: Software Testing and Development
The process of building an app can be costly and time-consuming as it often requires setting up and using complex hardware and software, not to mention the costs of learning how to use said tools.
With cloud computing, you can access most of these resources in an online environment which will speed up development times, make testing safer and easier, and allow for a competitive edge in an industry that’s in a continuous rush for the next best thing.
Use 4: Communication
Another way you may be using cloud computing services without even realizing it is through calendar and email apps or WhatsApp and Skype, which are all built on cloud infrastructure. All the messages and images you send to and from your phone go through the cloud first and that’s how you can access them over the internet on multiple gadgets.
Use 5: Social Networking
When we mentioned earlier that you can also access services via the cloud, some of the most used services are platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The way these platforms handle data is done through the cloud, and they help millions of people everyday to connect with others across the world, share information, files, and media. Through social networking, cloud computing is bringing the world just a little bit closer.
Is Cloud Computing the Future of Data?
Whether it’s used for large-scale data collection and management or simply to store vacation photos, cloud computing is affecting some of the most important aspects of online users’ lives. This industry is continuously growing and will most likely become the norm in terms of how we interact with our data. This is why everyone should be keeping up with cloud computing trends and learning how to best implement the tools which are already available. So, if you want to add anything else to this topic, the comments section is the best place to do so. Start a conversation or ask any questions you want!
Author’s Bio
Christine J. Shepard is a technology writer that found time to collaborate with online publications to provide tech articles. She loves teaching newcomers about how things work in the digital world. She has a husband and two children, and they live in New York in what she prides herself to be one of the “smartest apartments out there”.
