We all use cloud computing whenever we do something as simple as sending an email, uploading a photo, downloading a song, video or movie. These are just examples of the numerous possibilities that this technology offers us.
Thanks to cloud services or cloud computing, people have changed the way they work and study because they can access systems at any time and from anywhere.
What is the cloud computing?
Imagine thousands of servers around the world connected to each other, which are constantly processing and saving data and available at all times from anywhere with an internet connection.
Cloud services allow us to make use of computing tools (databases, servers, analysis, networks and software) provided by a provider that is responsible for managing and operating the necessary infrastructure.
The goal is to offer flexible, low-cost Information Technology (IT) resources to put your idea to work, leaving as many resources as you need available and paying only for what’s used.
In fact, cloud computing helps companies to innovate and offer a better service. For example, Netflix, which has been migrating most of its processes to the AWS (Amazon Web Services) cloud, seeking scalability and reliability, improved its processes using these technologies.
Another success story is Philips, which decided to build its digital platform Philips HealthSuite on AWS, capable of analyzing and storing 15 PB of patient data collected from 390 million studies and using cloud services provides the reliability, performance and scalability they need.
Cloud computing benefits
Security is one of the highest priority aspects in cloud services, each provider offers a wide range of tools that allow the user to create a hierarchy within their organization, having full control of who can access the resources.
The developer will be able to make use of the new tools that the service provider offers, quickly, since the resources will be available in minutes, thus increasing the agility of your organization.
Since the business only pays when the service is used, costs will only increase as the application grows, leaving out the drawbacks of having to assume the capacity of a local data center that can result in idle costs or limited capacity.
By not having to worry about hardware resources, developers can focus on results, spending more time on features, user experience, and improving the quality of applications.
Types of cloud computing services
As cloud services grew in popularity, various models emerged to meet the needs of different users, so each type of service provides different levels of control. Read: Agile: key to digital transformation
For this reason, knowing and identifying their differences, the developer can choose the services that most contribute to their needs. Next, we will see the benefits of each one.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
It enables you to use fundamental building blocks such as servers, virtual machines, and data storage. Infrastructure as a Service gives you greater flexibility in managing IT resources in an environment familiar to developers.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
The need for businesses to manage infrastructure is eliminated, allowing you to focus on the deployment and management of your applications, increasing your efficiency, since you don’t have to worry about maintenance or task reviews involved in running the application.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
It provides a complete product, the user only needs to worry about how the said application is used, since they are end-user applications. The service provider runs and manages all of its features.
Cloud computing types
One type of cloud computing does not fit all customer needs. Various models have evolved to provide all three types of cloud deployment: public, private, and hybrid.
Public cloud
Many users have access to it and the provider is responsible for maintaining the hardware and software. End users do not know what jobs of other clients are running on the same server, access to services is obtained remotely through the Internet.
Private cloud
It has a managed infrastructure for a single client, which owns the server, network and disk. This type of cloud computing can be physically located in a company’s local data center, and the company can authorize a user to use the infrastructure. In addition, it allows for higher levels of control, service, security and privacy.
Hybrid cloud
This implementation allows connecting the local infrastructure with the resources offered by the cloud through technology that allows sharing data and applications. This cloud computing provides flexibility and gives scalability options.
Cloud service providers
Choosing a good provider is essential, since it owns and is responsible for the hardware connected to the network, while the user supplies and uses what is required through a web application.
Amazon Web Services is the largest cloud services platform, right now, followed by Azure, Google Cloud Storage, IBM, AT&T, HP among others.
How to access cloud services?
For companies that want to achieve their objectives through the use of cloud services, there are several providers that offer a free implementation tier, where they can make use of the different services available, paying only when they exceed the request limit of the tier.
In this way, a company can implement applications and see the benefits before paying for them, since the provider provides the necessary documentation for the implementation of the services it wants to consume.
How can I learn about cloud services?
AWS offers a learning service through AWS educate, which you can access by signing up with an educational email address. This platform allows you to acquire knowledge about cloud services from scratch through courses that can be adapted to your professional path.
Should I implement this technology in my company?
Before thinking about migrating data to the cloud computing, an organization should spend time studying which services would best suit their needs and add value to the products.
Some organizations begin to implement cloud services in events or advertising campaigns that will not last long, in this way, the costs will be much lower than doing it through traditional services, and they are a good initiative to start making migrations on a larger scale within the organization. In short, cloud-based services have a significant impact on the effectiveness, security, accessibility and performance of our business, and these are consolidated as the future in the world of Information Technology in companies.
