Data is Everywhere: Uses of Cloud Computing
2019-09-16
Digital storage is important. In fact, cloud computing - the process of storing your data through the cloud - is a major part of every business structure. However, the cloud’s capabilities vary with each device you use. And for most of them, higher storage means faster and more capable operating systems. Since its conceptualization, the cloud has been a popular storage choice for most tech giants and corporations. At present, cloud computing, the on-demand process of storing data, is considered to be one of the best technological advancements of our time.
What good is the cloud?
Several, several years back, it would be hard to believe we’ll develop cloud technology using the power of the internet. The cloud stores a large amount of data for our day-to-day use. And it doesn’t use the ‘local’ storage of your personal computers. Since the breakthrough of cloud storage, companies have exercised the ability of data storing services. The cloud serves as a dump for the information and data everywhere.
Visualize this: The large number of internet users every minute at a popular brand’s website can’t be hosted by a local server. Simply because the server will have a hard time to accept or process a large number of searches or commands - simultaneously. And outdated servers will have an even more difficult time processing these requests. It is like asking one person to do thousands of chores in one go.
The cloud, on the other hand, has access to a lot of digital servers. The cloud will access these digital servers depending on the demand or requests of the traffic that goes through the website.
There are a lot of benefits that are being enjoyed by cloud users since the tech was first introduced. From a global perspective, businesses and organizations use this innovation to reduce costs. Simply put, the cloud costs less than having an external and physical storage facility for their information. Plus, there will be no need for IT specialists to maintain them. And it even has benefits for non-organizations. Everyone can use the cloud for storage purposes. Individuals have the cloud on their mobile phones and personal computers. They’re probably just not aware of it. Moreover, since everything can be stored on the cloud, the storage space will never be full. You have the option to upload your data on cloud accounts.
Since clouds are used for storing, transferring and computing tons of data. Cloud computing, in itself, can be categorized into three structures.
Uses of Cloud Computing
Based on how the cloud is used, you can categorize them into IaaS, Paas, or SaaS.
In the business world, there are services you can consider as the foundation- or backbone-builders. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) are much bigger companies that have private clouds being used by small-to-medium businesses. Think of a factory, supplying their products to malls. Since small-to-medium businesses are slowly adapting the cloud computing technology. And instead of having their own private cloud, where you have to fill it up with data from its users, they’re renting out the private clouds of big players. This will greatly help SMEs, as the data that the users want are readily available on their cloud.
Another category of cloud computing is the Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS). PaaS provides exactly what the term declares as a service. PaaS has platforms that can be used by developers to run, build, or create their own software via the cloud. This is especially handy for developers who don’t want to or can’t start their codes from scratch. If you’re a developer who’s looking to build your own unique application with a specific, tight budget, PaaS is a cloud computing structure you can look into.
The last category is being used by a lot of individuals without them knowing. It is Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). SaaS platforms are mostly used on the applications in your personal computer or mobile device. As the user manage and update their own applications, the data or information will then be stored on the public cloud specifically for that application only. This is why taking a picture with your mobile device has the easy option to upload it quickly to different online platforms. While most SaaS offer their platforms for the cost of a subscription, it’s a better way to save physical storage on your gadgets.
Cloud Computing and The Internet
Cloud computing uses the eternal space of the internet to cater to millions of users worldwide. Clouds have connections to different webpages that collects and receives data from whichever end. The collection happens simultaneously with storing and computing.
This is the reason why it only takes milliseconds when searching for a certain keyword. Of course, a fast internet connection with no restrictions plays a good part in it as well. Cloud computing, while mainly used as storage for tons of data, have more than one use. Since the stored data are always available in the cloud, it also serves as a back-up which companies and organizations can access anytime. Especially when a physical server is destroyed. Having back up data stored in the cloud proves to be cost-effective for most companies and organizations.