Cloud Computing: We hear the term almost every day. But, really, what is cloud computing? This seems to be a common question. In June of this year, TELUS and IDC Canada published a study on cloud computing, in which 200 Canadian business and IT leaders from the main Canadian companies (more than 500 employees) were interviewed in various industries. The study revealed that 63% of Canadian companies surveyed did not have sufficient or only basic knowledge to make decisions about the use of a cloud service or their internal IT department.
A recent article by eweek.com also points out that there is a lot of confusion about cloud computing. The article refers to a recent study by Citrix Systems, which included more than 1,000 adults in the United States. The study showed that the majority of respondents thought that the cloud was related to the weather. 51% of respondents thought that time could affect cloud computing. Despite the confusion, the study found that 97% of respondents currently use cloud services with examples such as online banking, shopping, social networking and file sharing. 59% said that, next to the respondents, said they believe that the "workplace of the future" will be in the cloud what the current proliferation of computing objects in the cloud.
The above description reflects what we find with our own customers. The knowledge of cloud computing is relatively limited and companies can take advantage of significant opportunities to strengthen their businesses by reducing costs and risks. We hope this article gives you a general overview of cloud computing so you can better evaluate if it meets the needs of your business.
What is Cloud Computing?
First of all, it makes sense to understand where the term cloud computing comes from. It is very likely that the use of an image in the cloud represents a network or an Internet computing environment.
A quick search on Google reveals a series of definitions of cloud computing. I like a definition I took from Wikipedia, it defines cloud computing as the provision of computers as a service, by which shared resources, software and information about computers and other devices are provided as a utility. similar to the electricity network through a generally Internet network,
What are the different models of computing in the cloud?
To eliminate confusion around cloud computing, it is useful to know the different models of services in the cloud, of which there are three: software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) ),
SaaS is the most popular feature of cloud services. SaaS is sometimes called software on demand. SaaS centrally hosts the software and associated data, and generally invokes them through the Internet using a browser. What are some examples of SaaS? MailChimp, the application used to distribute our newsletters, is an example. Google Apps is another example, such as Dropbox, and the list continues to grow.
PaaS provides the provision of an IT platform and the necessary solutions to facilitate the deployment of applications without having to invest in the cost and complexity of hardware and software. Microsoft Azure and Google App Engine are just some examples.
With the IaaS service model, customers can avoid buying servers, software, data center rooms and network devices. These resources are provided as a completely outsourced service. Examples of IaaS include Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud and Rackspace.
In addition to several service models in the cloud, it helps to understand the distribution models that distribute cloud computing. The main delivery models include the public, private, municipal and hybrid sectors.
A public cloud provides infrastructure and solutions to the general public and is generally owned by a large company that sells cloud services.
A private cloud is designed only for one organization. A private cloud can be managed by the organization that uses it or by a third party, and the infrastructure can be located on the user's website in the cloud or elsewhere.
A community cloud is shared between organizations and is compatible with a community of users, usually in a common interest, such as regulation.
A hybrid cloud model consists of two or more clouds, p. A public and a private cloud, which are connected by technology that facilitates the exchange of data and portability. Egnyte, a file storage and sharing service, is an example of a hybrid cloud computing solution.
What are the benefits of cloud computing?
Earlier this year, I attended a webinar where a CFO roundtable discussed the main benefits of cloud computing. The advantages mentioned were:
Cost savings compared to on-site facilities
Access anytime and anywhere through an Internet connection
Reduction of dependence on IT support
Cloud solutions can often be deployed faster than local solutions
Cloud solutions generally allow companies to buy a larger product with many more features, which would cost a lot of money if similar features were purchased through a local solution different from the cloud.
IT can focus more on value-added activities than on managing the IT infrastructure as infrastructure management moves to the cloud provider.
Cloud solutions generally contribute to:
Timely financial information
Business process optimization
Connect with employees and allow employees to work remotely
What are some of the risks and concerns associated with cloud computing?
Despite the benefits, cloud computing presents a series of common problems. It is very important to carefully consider the risks that may affect your sensitive information, whether you are evaluating solutions in the cloud or on the site. It is also important to evaluate the risks associated with cloud solutions in relation to the similar risks you may encounter with your own local alternatives.
The most common problem is security. For most SMBs, cloud-based security is often better than on-site solutions, since reputable cloud providers can invest in the skills and capabilities to address emerging and evolving threats. Many small and medium businesses rely on part-time IT support or do not benefit from dedicated IT support. This, together with the constantly changing IT risks, suggests that most small and medium enterprises simply can not cope with threats to their information resources. To solve security problems, an accredited cloud provider must be able to provide the following guarantees:
Access to data: there must be a rigorous authentication process that all users must follow to access their data.
Transfer: Data must be encrypted when it is transferred from your local site to the cloud service provider.
Network: to protect the cloud provider's network, security must be increased
Physical access: the cloud provider must be able to demonstrate strong controls over physical access to their facilities where their data is stored.
Data security: the cloud provider must be able to guarantee that their data is encrypted when they are inactive in the cloud.
Confidentiality and compliance: your cloud provider must be able to guarantee that they protect the confidentiality of your information and comply with the rules and regulations.
The availability of solutions in the cloud is another concern. It is important to evaluate the impact of a solution on the cloud that is no longer available due to circumstances such as an Internet outage or a technical failure of the cloud provider. These concerns should also be analyzed in the appropriate context. Internet outages, especially long-term outages, are quite rare. Well-known cloud service providers can usually have high availability performance and, when problems arise, they have access to qualified resources. How is this scenario comparable to the similar risks associated with your on-site alternative? What is your downtime with on-site solutions and can you get assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in case of a serious problem? Availability risks can also be mitigated using a hybrid cloud model. Egnyte has already been cited as an example of a hybrid cloud model to share and save files. With this option, if you want to turn off the Internet, you can still have a local copy of your available data.
Access to data is considered a problem in two contexts. First, how can I recover my data when I leave my cloud provider? Another is what happens when my cloud service provider declares bankruptcy. The answer to these questions should be available from your cloud provider and included in your end-user agreement. It is very important to determine the format in which your data is available if you wish to retrieve it from your cloud provider. For example, if you use a cloud-based accounting solution, your data may not be returned in the same format in which you wrote it.
One last consideration is the data backup. Based on our experience with small businesses, it is not uncommon to find backup routines or problems with them, such as: For example, backups that are not stored externally or restore unproven backups. Reliable cloud solutions reduce this risk and many cloud providers offer multiple backup locations in the event of a site-specific outage.
Creative Computer Solutions Incorporated (360) 944-5111 provides responsive, quality IT managed services and hybrid cloud services for Portland and Vancouver, WA businesses.
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