While cloud is designed to be simple to use, there are challenges that businesses face when first adjusting to it.
The different style of operating impacts IT and business users alike, so while there now may be a better understanding of what cloud computing offers in terms of benefits, there remains some gaps in knowledge.
CBR provides a helpful cloud computing tutorial.
1. Why cloud computing
First off a business should be asking itself why it should go to the cloud, what problems is it trying to solve.
Cloud has risen to prominence due to the rise in computer and mobile use, which has made data storage a priority. At the same time a necessity to decrease IT spend and to increase efficiency has arisen.
Businesses have sought a way to reduce the amount of money spent on hardware and software, and cloud has become the remedy.
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Cloud gives small businesses the ability to sidestep the need to have costly infrastructure, giving them access to more resources than they could afford under traditional models.
Although the benefits are well documented, it is necessary for businesses to judge applications on a case-by-case scenario before they decide whether or not a cloud solution is the best fit.
2. Types of cloud
Typically the cloud comes in three different models: private cloud, public cloud, and hybrid cloud.
In a private cloud computing resources are run for one organisation. This model gives the business greater control over the governance of resources and the location of data. It can also help to increase security.
Public cloud is where the computing resource is owned, governed, and operated by a third party. Companies such as Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft Azure take control of all requirements.
Hybrid computing is a mix of both private and public cloud. This method allows businesses to pick and choose where different applications and data sits. This means that a business can put sensitive data in its private cloud while non-sensitive can be in public.
3. Cloud computing services
The three major cloud computer offerings are Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS).
SaaS is where applications are hosted by a provider on a cloud infrastructure. The benefit of this is that it increases flexibility for the company by providing quick access to services, it also helps to reduce costs.
PaaS providers deliver both infrastructure and middleware and solution stacks for application building, development and deployment.
IaaS is the delivery of computing infrastructure, this takes away the need for IT to provide the infrastructure to host data, applications and more.
3. Cloud computing services
The three major cloud computer offerings are Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS).
SaaS is where applications are hosted by a provider on a cloud infrastructure. The benefit of this is that it increases flexibility for the company by providing quick access to services, it also helps to reduce costs.
PaaS providers deliver both infrastructure and middleware and solution stacks for application building, development and deployment.
IaaS is the delivery of computing infrastructure, this takes away the need for IT to provide the infrastructure to host data, applications and more.
4. Virtualisation and cloud computing
Virtualisation is the main technology that enables cloud computing. Basically this is the partitioning of a single physical server into multiple logical servers.
Once the server is divided, each logical server behaves like a physical server and can run an operating system and applications on their own.
5. Cloud computing strategy
Having a cloud computing strategy is probably the most important piece of the puzzle as without a strategy, failure and problems are more likely to occur.
For example, security is likely to be a much bigger challenge if there is no clear strategy on what services are being used, where applications are sitting, and where the data is positioned.
Having an aligned strategy when it comes to cloud will help the business to fully achieve the benefits of cloud.
