Understanding what cloud computing can do for you Cloud computing covers the provision of all types of computing power for individuals and businesses, including servers, data storage, networking, software environments and analytics using hardware in centralized locations. Customers using cloud computing have none of the hardware in their possession, instead, they connect to hardware they rent or lease via the internet, while the cloud computing provider manages all aspects of the hardware in their own facilities. By disconnecting the provision of hardware from physical ownership, cloud computing allows users to have as much, or little, computing power as they need at any point. The service scales with computing demand, so users only pay for the amount of computing power they actually need. There are several ways this can be extremely useful, here are some examples of how this works in practice: Software as a Service (SaaS) — Users access software packages hosted on cloud-based hardware via the internet. As more users come online, the cloud system can allocate more resources to ensure that each user enjoys good performance. An example of this type of cloud computing would be Office 365 or Gmail. Platform as a Service (PaaS) — Here the hardware is used to create a complete development environment hosted on cloud hardware. The user can log into the system via the internet to develop, run and manage their own applications within this environment. The most popular example of this would be Microsoft Azure. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) — A way for businesses to obtain the hardware they need, such as servers or data storage on a pay as you use basis, avoiding expensive outlay and ongoing management costs and the need to store large and expensive hardware themselves. Instead, a single payment to have the infrastructure needed, with the ability to increase capacity as required. Perhaps the most used of these is Amazon Web Services (AWS). Cloud Storage — Simple cloud-based storage for data of all kinds, accessed via a web connection within in browser or via an app. Google Drive, iCloud and Dropbox are examples of this. Cloud for Fleet Management — Providing complete fleet management solutions via the cloud, this is a combination of both SaaS and IaaS, allowing users to access real time tracking data and manage the entire fleet. From route planning and vehicle maintenance scheduling through to logistical management, everything can be done in the cloud, accessed remotely from any location. Cloud for Device Management — Manage connected devices remotely from anywhere with a cloud-based device management solution. Allowing remote monitoring, software updates and more regardless of device location, ensuring efficient management of a disparate system. Useful for broad networks such as Internet of Things (IoT) installations. How does Cloud Computing Work? Whether you want to run a piece of software or access some data or anything else, as a business or individual you would start your laptop or desktop, launch the app and get on with what you are doing. Cloud computing takes that computing hardware away and puts into a large datacenter that the cloud computing provider operates. You can now use very lightweight computing power at your location, and access software, development environments, databases and so on directly from their hardware via the net. They invest in the powerful hardware so you don’t have to. What is more, if you find that you need more hardware to support a bigger development for instance, you are simply allocated more resources from that large data center. Its fully scalable in a way permanent hardware you purchase can never be. Virtualization is key This is achieved with what is called virtualization, where these large data centers are hosts to software based servers, storage devices and networks. Your server is accessed via the cloud, and it works just like you expect a server to work, but in reality, it is only a small part of the server hardware in the data center itself. In this way, they can allocate resources from one piece of hardware to multiple clients without losing performance. This is how cloud computing is usually cheaper than buying your own hardware. How does this relate to edge computing? Edge computing refers to the processing of data near its source, so at the edge of the network, which is where the name comes from. The idea of this is that it reduces latency, and the bandwidth used for data transmission, and is ideal for real-time data processing where speed matters. Cloud computing is the opposite philosophy, moving the processing of data away from the location to benefit from the efficiency of pooled resources. Both have their place, and edge computing compliments, rather than competes with cloud computing, offering different services for very different data needs. Is Cloud Computing Secure? One of the more obvious questions about transitioning to cloud computing is security. We all know that if its on the internet, it is vulnerable to hacks, but is this the same for cloud computing? While cloud computing systems use very sophisticated security provision, and have constant scanning and security experts in their teams working at their data centers, there is a certain risk of unauthorized access to data and so on. However, modern systems from reputable cloud providers have incredibly secure systems, and in practice, these systems have proven to be very resilient in terms of combatting attempted attacks, and while any digital system has a level of risk, cloud computing today remains a highly secure ecosystem. Conclusion By shifting the cost, management and space required for hardware away from the individual or business, cloud computing is changing the way we access the latest technology. From emails to office software, streaming the latest movies to keeping track of your daily calendar, cloud computing has become part of daily life, and will continue to transform our relationship with the digital world.
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