Guide to cloud computing: uses, advantages and functions
Cloud computing definition: this is one of the long tail keywords (in Italian "long tail keyword") most sought after on the web in recent months because there is a service, the cloud, which is spreading wildly but which many still appear to be an unknown, very nebulous world.
To overcome this problem, you can create a sort of guide that can explain what cloud computing is, what are the advantages of the service and how it works practically.
All the main information on the archiving service
Cloud computing is a fairly recent service but many do not know that the first theories about it emerged about 30 years ago when, after the birth of some American companies, the first services were provided in cloud mode.
Although it seemed to be a service limited to a few, today cloud computing is widespread both at an entrepreneurial level and in the common use among users who have electronic devices.
Going specifically, in the definition itself, cloud computing is a service that allows you to recover, with the use of the internet, IT resources such as files and archived data or various IT services such as databases and access to servers.
Often this service is used by all users without their realizing it; in fact, even the sending of an email, and therefore the use of email, is the result of a cloud computing process.
This service can be public (when it concerns the service provider) or private (when it is linked to the needs of the only company that uses it) while it is hybrid when there are services that concern the company but which also affect the supplier thanks to specific technologies . As for companies, cloud computing is chosen for different uses and the main ones are:
- Allow hospitality for websites and blogs with availability within the service;
- Provide on demand software with an adequate supply;
- Create new web applications and services;
- Perform a correct analysis of the data in order to then be able to derive useful statistics to understand the progress of the business
- Take care of the audio and video aspect with the possibility of streaming transmission;
Being able to archive the data in order to perform a possible backup and restore of the functions.
To these uses we must consider that there are three forms of cloud computing service: SaaS (Software as a Service), IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) and PaaS (Platform as a Service). The first form concerns the distribution model for software applications that deal with updates and security patches (for vulnerability control); the second form, however, is the basic one which includes the purchase of virtual machines and servers useful for data storage, all paid in proportion to the use that is made of it by the company; the last form, finally, is fertile ground for developers who need to test and develop software applications (for example, creating Web apps in a very simple and fast way).
But what are the advantages of cloud computing? Why should a company decide to use this service? The answer is multiple because the advantages are different and can be summarized in six points:
First of all, as an advantage there is speed, as seen also in the forms of the cloud, deriving from the fact that cloud computing works in on demand mode and therefore it is possible to obtain results on computing resources in a short time, giving the company a lot of flexibility;
Then there are the performances that are optimal because the cloud service rests on a worldwide network of data centers (and not on the individual who would create slow operations);
Costs are another not insignificant advantage because cloud computing eliminates all the expenses related to the acquisition of software and hardware;
Reliability is also not lacking in this service and all thanks to the possibility of not incurring significant costs for data recovery or backup (when necessary);
Another advantage is scalability (providing necessary resources) which in the cloud service is extremely elastic;
The last advantage is that related to the productivity of cloud computing because many activities (such as hardware configuration) are not necessary and therefore the top business executives can focus more on the objectives to be achieved.
Last aspect to analyze is the functioning of cloud computing; this is because according to the providers (the service providers) these can vary and often the developers alternate between those who choose an account management for the most comfortable service and those who create a specific interface to have a range of options more wide.
