Cloud Computing is a way to access information and applications online instead of building, managing, and maintaining hard drive or servers. It’s faster, more efficient, and more secure. It’s also a model for enabling convenient, on-demand access to a shared pool of configurable Computing resources (e.g. networks, servers, storage, applications, services, etc.). There are six types of Cloud Computing Cloud Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS), Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Hybrid Cloud, Private Cloud, Public Cloud, and MultiCloud. Cloud Computing is also essential to our lives because according to IBM.com some examples of Cloud Computing are Google Gmail, streaming a movie on Netflix, or playing a cloud-hosted video game.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a type of Cloud Computing in which a service provider is responsible for providing servers, storage, and networking over a virtual interface. In this service, you don’t need to manage the cloud infrastructure but has control over the storage, operating systems, and deployed applications. A third-party vendor usually hosts the software, hardware, server storage, and other infrastructure components. According to spiceworks.com, the vendor also hosts the user’s applications and maintains a backup.
Software as a Service (SaaS) is a type of Cloud Computing that allows users to access a vendor’s software on cloud on a subscription basis. In this type of cloud computing, users don’t typically need to install applications on their local devices. Instead, the applications are located on a remote cloud network that can be directly accessible through a web or an API. According to spiceworks.com, SaaS makes it easy for enterprises to streamline their maintenance and support.
Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a type of Cloud Computing that provides a development and deployment environment that allows users to develop and run applications without the complexity of building or maintaining the infrastructure. It provides users with resources to develop cloud-based applications. Usually, in this type of service, a user purchases the resources from a vendor on a pay-as-you-go basis and can access them over a secure connection. According to spiceworks.com, PaaS usually doesn’t require users to manage an underlying structure but gives them control over the deployed applications. This allows organizations to focus on deploying and managing their applications by freeing them of any responsibility for software maintenance, planning, and resource procurement.
In a Private Cloud, organizations can host private clouds for their exclusive use. The hosters range from corporation to universities and is used for personal use. The hosters own the data and applications that live on the cloud. According to spiceworks.com, Public Cloud offers RAM and flexible bandwidth, making it easier for businesses to scale their storage needs.
In a Public Cloud, third-party cloud vendors own and manage public clouds for use by the general public. These vendors own all the hardware, software, and infrastructure that constitute the cloud. Their customer own the data and applications that live in that cloud. According to spiceworks.com, public clouds help businesses save on purchasing, managing, and maintaining on-premises infrastructure since the cloud service provider is responsible for managing the system. They also offer scalable RAM and flexible bandwidth, making it easier for businesses to scale their storage needs.
In a Hybrid Cloud, private clouds fuse with public clouds for the best of both worlds. Generally, organization use private clouds for critical or sensitive functions and public clouds to accommodate surges in computing demand. Data and application flow automatically between them According to salesforce.com, this gives organizations increased flexibillity without requiring users to ban infrastructure, compliance, and security. According to spiceworks.com, companies pay for for the resources they use temporarily instead of purchasing and maintaining resources that won’t be useful for an extended period of time.
A Multicloud exists when organizations leverage many clouds from several providers. Multicloud is beneficial because you can run it on a cloud with extra security features, you can use different cloud providers for the best service from international regions, and you can also mix and match different features and functionality.
There are many benefits to using Cloud Computing such as saving money because organizations don’t have to spend massive amounts of money buying and maintaining equipment. Another benefit for using Cloud Computing is users can access stored information from anywhere from any device with a stable internet connection. You can also recover your data even if your device is inoperable. Cloud Computing also facilitates rapid deployment of applications and services, letting developers to expand in their creativity and testing new resources. Additionally, Cloud Computing also promotes environmental sustainability. It saves energy costs and reuduces carbon footprints by consolidating workloads onto shared infrastructure. The last benefit is automatic updating where Cloud Services often include automatic updates so users can always have the latest features and security patches without manual intervention.
Related Stories:
https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/cloud-computing
https://www.spiceworks.com/tech/cloud/articles/what-is-cloud-computing/
https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/definition/cloud-computing
https://www.salesforce.com/platform/cloud-computing/
https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cloud-computing
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