CLOUD COMPUTING

CLOUD COMPUTING

WHAT IS CLOUD COMPUTING?

Cloud Computing Services provide information technology (IT) as a service over the Internet or dedicated network, with delivery on demand, and payment based on usage. Cloud computing services range from full applications and development platforms, to servers, storage, and virtual desktops. Cloud computing enables companies to consume compute resources as a utility -- just like electricity -- rather than having to build and maintain computing infrastructures in-house.

 

WHO USES CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES AND WHY?

Corporate and government entities utilize cloud computing services to address a variety of application and infrastructure needs such as CRM, database, compute, and data storage. Unlike a traditional IT environment, where software and hardware are funded up front by department and implemented over a period of months, cloud computing services deliver IT resources in minutes to hours and align costs to actual usage. As a result, organizations have greater agility and can manage expenses more efficiently. Similarly, consumers utilize cloud computing services to simplify application utilization, store, share, and protect content, and enable access from any web-connected device.

 

HOW CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES WORK?

Cloud computing services have several common attributes: Virtualization- cloud computing utilizes server and storage virtualization extensively to allocate/reallocate resources rapidlyMulti-tenancy -resources are pooled and shared among multiple users to gain economies of scaleNetwork-access - resources are accessed via web-browser or thin client using a variety of networked devices (computer, tablet, smartphone) On demand - resources are self-provisioned from an online catalogue of pre-defined configurationsElastic -resources can scale up or down, automaticallyMetering/chargeback -resource usage is tracked and billed based on service arrangementAmong the many types of cloud computing services delivered internally or by third party service providers, the most common are:

Benefits of cloud computing services Cloud computing promises several attractive benefits for businesses and end users. Three of the main benefits of cloud computing include:

• Self-service provisioning: End users can spin up computing resources for almost any type of workload on-demand.

• Elasticity: Companies can scale up as computing needs increase and then scale down again as demands decrease.

• Pay per use: Computing resources are measured at a granular level, allowing users to pay only for the resources and workloads they use.

 

Faster implementation and time to valueAnywhere access to applications and contentRapid scalability to meet demandHigher utilization of infrastructure investmentsLower infrastructure, energy, and facility costsGreater IT staff productivity and across organizationEnhanced security and protection of information assets