The time of the physical server stored in a special room is over. Today, running an application no longer requires the installation on a computer or the support of a physical server in an office building. While in the past only large enterprises had the money to invest in complicated IT infrastructure, cloud technology truly leveled the playing field, giving smaller companies the ability to store information at a remote data center rather than on-premise. Let’s discover just a few of the benefits of Cloud Computing.
Understanding cloud deployment models
In short, cloud computing is storing and accessing your data and applications over the Internet, instead of a local hard drive or server. With a strong online connection, cloud computing can be done anytime, and anywhere. Understanding cloud deployment models is crucial when choosing a provider because it affects who can access the data on the cloud and in what ways, depending on your business needs. There are three main models.
Private cloud, also known as “corporate cloud”, serves a single company and doesn’t provide access for unauthorized users.
Public cloud implies making digital assets on the cloud publicly available over the internet. Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn are all examples of public services. Public clouds are either free for customers or offered on a subscription basis (i.e., SaaS, PaaS).
Hybrid cloud is a mixture of on-premises infrastructure, public cloud, and private cloud. Large companies typically use it for keeping important data in private, and various support-oriented services in public.
Main benefits of cloud computing
Cost saving – crucial for smaller companies
The financial advantages of the Cloud need to be seen from several perspectives. For most start-ups, the challenge is the initial capital. While local servers are expensive, the Cloud costs much less. A well-balanced cloud-based solution means long-term savings. Since there is no need for a technical team to fix server problems, companies save money on spare parts and other equipment.
In addition, cloud-based programs encourage the idea of paying only for those features that are useful to you. So you don’t pay for features that you don’t really need.
Apart from the on-premise vs. cloud server comparison, there is another indirect gain: higher employee efficiency.
Mobility and a better work-life balance
The cloud allows you to access information from your office, or wherever you are. Access is granted from any device, be it a smartphone or tablet, which is ideal for employees who are on the move a lot and whose work is not done exclusively at the office. During the lockdown period, caused by the COVID pandemic, many companies found cloud services to be a true lifesaver.
Today’s employees are highly motivated by flexible working hours, the possibility of working from home (especially those who live away from work). Therefore, cloud-based software will allow them to work from home, with access to all the necessary information.
So, the Cloud offers easy access to information to traveling salespeople, collaborators, and employees working from home for a better work-life balance.
Easy collaboration and the end of numerous e-mail attachments
At some level, almost every company relies on working with documents. Even if they are in a virtual format, they are passed from one employee to another and are edited, therefore multiple versions appear. Before the “cloud,” the document was sent and returned with changes, and then sent again as an e-mail attachment. Today, thanks to the cloud, collaboration between team members is much simpler, as is working with files. Changes to the document are made in real-time, and they are seen at the same time by all team members.
With Cloud Computing, all files are stored centrally and everyone sees the current version of the document.
Next-level security
People with important functions in the company travel a lot with their work laptops. Losing a laptop or having it break down would mean a big problem for the company, given the confidential data stored on it. The cloud offers increased security in such a case. Because the data is stored over the internet, access to the information is possible no matter what happens to the work laptop or mobile device. You can even remotely delete data from the lost laptop.
Cloud services are increasingly used by companies to solve the challenges they face every day. Its increased efficiency helps improve workflow by providing access to information even when you’re on the move. In this article, we mentioned just a few of the benefits of cloud computing.
