Everyone is talking about the “Cloud”. Research people are talking about cloud computing; Companies are moving towards cloud-based applications; Subject matter experts and consultants are suggesting their clients to upgrade to the cloud; IT people are mentioning it as a paradigm shift in 20 years; Operations teams recommend you to opt for Software as a Service, so that you can cut costs.
There is a lot of buzz around the Cloud. So, what is the Cloud? To explain it in a simple manner, a consumer can access Facebook. He doesn’t have to worry about the server requirements, related hardware or software. He can access it from anywhere without the need to worry about what device he needs to use. Mobiles, laptops, desktops, netbooks etc. are all the thin clients that he can use to access it. That is how simple the cloud is, in reality! Here are 10 things that will explain more to you about Cloud Computing.
- The Internet is generally referred to as the Cloud.
- Applications are hosted and maintained by the service provider.
- Consumers don’t have to worry about the software or hardware.
- Most features required by consumers are available in different cloud based applications.
- Recent innovations have enabled consumers to access business applications in a mobile and collaborative manner.
- Consumers can utilize thin clients to access their applications and get / feed data in real time.
- Usage based Subscription has helped businesses save capital spent on infrastructure and maintenance.
- Cloud based applications are considered to be vast resource pools with on-demand resource allocation
- Clouds are priced like utilities now-a-days. Service providers are charging on an hourly basis as well as based on number of views or extent of storage utilization.
10. The consumer or the organization does not have control over the software versions or anti-virus packages. But, they can request for specifics to service providers and get it upgraded, as per requirements at an additional cost.
Cloud computing is a fairly new technology and there is a lot of research work that is going on everyday. Keep watching this space for more information in cloud advancements and the latest trends.
