What is Cloud Computing & Why is it Important? | (2024)

FAQs

Why is cloud computing important? ›

Cloud infrastructures support environmental proactivity, powering virtual services rather than physical products and hardware, and cutting down on paper waste, improving energy efficiency, and (given that it allows employees access from anywhere with an internet connection) reducing commuter-related emissions.

Simply put, cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet (“the cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.

Cloud computing is the delivery of different services through the Internet, including data storage, servers, databases, networking, and software. Cloud storage has grown increasingly popular among individuals who need larger storage space and for businesses seeking an efficient off-site data back-up solution.

Other Important Benefits of Cloud Computing

Offers Resilient Computing. Fast and effective virtualization. Provide you low-cost software. Offers advanced online security.

There are four main types of cloud computing: private clouds, public clouds, hybrid clouds, and multiclouds. There are also three main types of cloud computing services: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platforms-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

Examples would include: Dropbox, a file storage and sharing system. Microsoft Azure, which offers backup and disaster recovery services, hosting, and more. Rackspace, which offers data, security, and infrastructure services.

In the simplest terms, cloud computing means storing and accessing data and programs over the internet instead of your computer's hard drive. (The PCMag Encyclopedia defines it succinctly as "hardware and software services from a provider on the internet.") Ultimately, the "cloud" is just a metaphor for the internet.

Why is it called cloud computing? ›

Cloud computing can also be thought of as utility computing or on-demand computing. The name cloud computing was inspired by the cloud symbol that's often used to represent the internet in flowcharts and diagrams.

The cloud, like any other IT set-up, can experience technical problems such as reboots, network outages and downtime. These events can incapacitate business operations and processes, and can be damaging to business. You should plan for cloud downtime and business continuity.

Cloud technology allows businesses to scale and adapt quickly, accelerating innovation, driving business agility, streamlining operations and lowering costs. This will not only help companies get through the current crisis, but it could also contribute to improved, long-term growth.

Who is the father of cloud computing technology? The answer to this trivia night question is American computer scientist J.C.R. Licklider. In the late 1960s, he envisioned a world where everyone would be connected with the ability to access specific programs and data regardless of where the access point was located.

For example, online files or photos sharing via iCloud or Google Drive is one of the many forms of Cloud services. Cloud Computing can be divided into two parts: The Cloud and the Computing. “The Cloud” is the deployment model of the Cloud strategy. While “the Computing” is the service model of the Cloud strategy.

Type 1: Software as a Service (SaaS)

With Software as a Service, or SaaS (pronounced s-ah-s) you're running a traditional application in the public cloud and accessing it over the public internet. This is the most common type because everyone uses it.

Emails, calendars, Skype, and WhatsApp are cloud computing examples that we use every single day. They make use of the cloud feature of remote accessibility of data to support our data in the cloud infrastructure, helping us access them thru the Internet anytime, anywhere.

Is Netflix an example of cloud computing? ›

Netflix is one example of an organization using the cloud. By running on AWS, it provided billions hours of service to customers around the globe.

Data Centre Storage

They are not floating around in cyberspace. Cloud space exists on individual servers found at data centres and server farms around the world. Data centre and collocation providers offer server space for cloud computing. It is easy to illustrate how we handle this by creating a fictional scenario.

As a cloud computing professional, you'll need to have proper programming skills because you'll be working with several programming languages. Cloud computing professionals use multiple programming languages including Java, PHP, Python, and . NET.

Clouds appear when there is too much water vapour for the air to hold. The water vapour (gas) then condenses to form tiny water droplets (liquid), and it is the water that makes the cloud visible. These droplets are so small that they stay suspended in the air.

Cloud computing offers modern businesses flexibility, efficiency, scalability, security, increased collaboration and reduced costs. While the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated cloud adoption, the reliance on cloud technologies is set to continue in 2022, especially with hybrid work taking center stage.

1. Cloud computing is flexible. Cloud-based services are ideal for businesses with growing or fluctuating bandwidth demands. If your needs increase, it's easy to scale up your cloud capacity, drawing on the service's remote servers.

What is the main disadvantage of cloud computing? ›

Downtime. Downtime is considered as one of the biggest potential downsides of using Cloud Computing. The cloud providers may sometimes face technical outages that can happen due to various reasons, such as loss of power, low Internet connectivity, data centers going out of service for maintenance, etc.

Downtime is often cited as one of the biggest cloud computing disadvantages. Since cloud computing systems are internet-based, service outages are always an unfortunate possibility and can occur for any reason. Can your business afford the impacts of an outage or slowdown?

With cloud computing, resources are available in minutes, which means companies can respond to new market developments much more rapidly. Dovetailed with the inherent agility of cloud resources is DevOps, which realigns software development and deployment to create continuous integration and continuous delivery.

The ability to pool resources is one of the essential characteristics of cloud computing. Resource pooling in cloud computing refers to the power of a cloud service provider to share resources across several customers. Each receives a unique set of services tailored to their specific needs.