Cloud computing

We call it Cloud computing, or cloud services, is a a range of features that are available online, that is, whilst we are connected to the Internet. This technology is one of the key players amongst the latest technological innovations most widely adopted by businesses and users. In the cloud computing We distinguish between IT services such as storage, databases, analytics, artificial intelligence, etc.

Thanks to cloud computing, Companies can make regular payments, in the form of a subscription, to a provider for online services without needing to maintain a physical IT infrastructure. The growing popularity of the cloud computing This has led to all companies whose flagship product is software – such as Salesforce – offering a cloud-based version of their programme.

Why is it called “cloud computing”?

When we talk about the ‘cloud’, we are referring to an ethereal space far removed from the user, hence the metaphorical term ‘cloud computing’. This term is used to emphasise that The location of these services is irrelevant to the user, and which is not housed in a physical, tangible location, just like a cloud.

More recently Companies are turning to multi-cloud computing. This practice involves diversifying the sources of cloud services procured; in other words, these services are procured from different providers. The aim is to avoid relying on a single provider for the cloud computing of the company.

Companies that provide cloud computing services They are, for the most part, tech giants, including Amazon Web Services, Azure, Google and IBM. Other major cloud computing providers include Alibaba Cloud and Dell.

Types of cloud computing

Among the various cloud services, we can identify three main types:

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

We are referring to the most basic IT components available for hire, such as servers, storage space and network configurations.

PaaS (Platform as a Service)

These services include all the software tools that developers need to create applications, including development tools and tools for managing database or operating systems.

SaaS (Software as a Service)

These are the services provided by cloud computing the best known and those offering the greatest variety. In this case, SaaS consists of the provision of cloud-based application services which users employ in their day-to-day lives, whether at work or in their personal lives.

What are the benefits of cloud computing for a business?

Cloud services are gaining a very loyal user base who prefer cloud computing to offline programmes. It is not only businesses that make use of these cloud-based services, but also individual users in their day-to-day lives. 

Thus, Cloud computing offers the following benefits:

• Companies do not have to purchase or pay for the maintenance of an entire IT infrastructure.
• They reduce some of the workload for the IT team, as there is no need to worry about servers or updating software such as programmes or operating systems.
• Cloud services offer more secure and efficient features.
• They streamline work processes and collaborative working on projects.
• Costs are calculated down to the last detail, as you only pay for what you use.
   

For its part, amongst the caveats of the cloud computing It is worth noting that it is not necessarily cheaper than developing IT services in-house. Furthermore, we must also bear in mind that some companies are reluctant to host certain types of data in the cloud, as they perceive it as a very open and shared environment and, therefore, more vulnerable.