Cloud computing - what is it?
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than as a product. Shared resources, software, and information (data) are provided to computers and other devices (smart phones) as a utility (like the electricity grid) over a network (typically the Internet). In the simplest of terms it is IT as a service. Instead of building your own computer & IT infrastructure to host databases or software, a third party hosts them in its large server farms which eliminates your need for expensive server hardware & software, and the associated cost of support, maintenance & emergency cover by expensive IT service personnel. Your company has access to its data and software over the Internet.Cloud computing`s five key benefits:
- Cheap: your IT service provider will host services for multiple companies - sharing complex infrastructure is cost-efficient and you pay only for what you actually use
- Quick: The most basic cloud services work out of the box; for more complex software and database solutions, cloud computing allows you to skip the hardware procurement and capital expenditure phase - it's perfect for start-up businesses
- Up-to-date: Most providers constantly update their software offering, adding new features as they become available
- Scaleable: If your business is growing fast or has seasonal spikes, you can go large quickly because cloud systems are built to cope with sharp increases in workload
- Mobile: Cloud services are designed to be used from a distance, so if you have a mobile workforce, your staff will have access to most of your systems on the go
Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet. These services are broadly divided into three categories: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). The name cloud computing was inspired by the cloud symbol that's often used to represent the Internet in flow charts and diagrams.
A cloud service has three distinct characteristics that differentiate it from traditional hosting. It is sold on demand, typically by the minute or the hour. It is elastic - a user can have as much or as little of a service as they want at any given time. The service is fully managed by the provider (the consumer needs nothing but a personal computer and Internet access). Significant innovations in virtualization and distributed computing, as well as improved access to high-speed Internet and a weak economy, have accelerated interest in cloud computing.
Why Utility Computing has come of age...
The technology landscape has changed :
- The dominance of the Internet
- The introduction of virtualisation technologies
- The commoditisation and standardisation of technologies
- Increasing bandwidth and quality of Internet connectivity
- The convergence of voice and data services from a single provider
- The growth in SaaS (Software as a Service) adoption
- The ability to access applications, services and resources when needed, regardless of device or location
- The speed of this technology change combined with the pressures of the current economic climate mean that the constraints of traditional software and hardware buying models are disappearing fast.
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