Cloud computing has revolutionized the way businesses use technology. Many enterprises have shifted to using cloud computing, harnessing the advantages it has over classic computing.
Cloud computing is a pay-as-you-go service delivering computing services over the internet.
It’s accessible from any device with an internet connection, and it offers high flexibility for enterprises.
Let’s delve into the top cloud computing advantages, and find out the benefits of using it.
In this article, you will read about:
- What Is Cloud Computing?
- What Is Cloud Computing Used For?
- 7+ Cloud Computing Advantages
- Cloud Computing Disadvantages
- What Is the Difference Between Cloud Computing and Dedicated Server Hosting?
- Cloud Computing FAQ
What Is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is on-demand delivery of computing resources. It provides services like computing power, data storage, databases, and networking – all remotely over the internet.
Cloud computing is useful for businesses that require flexible computing resources and high uptime. It can support businesses that are scaling up, thanks to the convenience of the cloud.
Since all services are delivered through the cloud, it’s easy for cloud computing providers to allocate more resources for clients that need them immediately. Additionally, high uptime is guaranteed, because cloud computing is decentralized.
Cloud computing providers have many data centers, which makes their services decentralized. This means that the services you’re using can be moved around data centers to ensure they are always available.
What Is Cloud Computing Used For?
Cloud computing has many different use cases. 94% of businesses today use cloud services of some form. That’s because they are affordable and easy to implement in any workflow.
Cloud services can help your business with everyday operations, and when you’re planning to scale too. Here’s the four top use cases for cloud computing:
#1. Hosting Applications
With cloud computing, you can host your applications on the internet. Cloud computing can help you make your apps easily accessible, and in a short time. You can also deploy your Software as a Service (SaaS) using cloud computing. One big benefit is that you can keep your software up to date, releasing updates and patches in no time.
#2. Storage and Backup
Cloud computing is very useful for storing and backing up data. That’s because cloud services are accessible from virtually anywhere in the world. As long as you have internet access, you can easily get to your files that are stored in the cloud.
And, in the case of a disaster, with cloud computing you will never lose your data. Your backups will be stored in a network of data centers, and they will be kept secure.
#3. Big Data
Working with big data requires a lot of computing power. And you’ll need the extra performance only when processing and analyzing the data.
With cloud computing, you only pay for the resources you have used, and you don’t have to spend money up-front to buy powerful server rigs. Therefore, it’s perfect for those working with large data sets.
#4. Testing Software
Cloud computing comes in handy when testing out new software on different platforms. Software developers often rely on cloud computing to test their production builds before pushing them out for delivery.
When using cloud computing, you won’t experience lag in testing your software, which might occur when testing on a shared environment. Moreover, you can scale up your apps using cloud computing to see if there’s any issues that arise under heavy traffic loads.
7+ Cloud Computing Advantages
Cloud computing has an edge on classic company IT setups. It allows you to have your IT interface in the cloud, accessible from anywhere. Let’s take a look at more cloud computing advantages, and how you can benefit from using it.
#1. Low Cost
With cloud computing, you have zero up-front costs. You don’t have to buy any hardware, and make space for it in your office. You’ll also cut down on electricity and maintenance fees that come with having traditional computing resources in your office.
Instead, you’ll pay by the hour for cloud computing, and only for the resources you are actively using. And if you need extra power, you don’t pay for hardware upgrades. You simply pay for the extra resources you used for the time.
#2. Fast Deployment
It’s extremely easy to deploy your applications or services using cloud computing. You simply sign up with the provider, and you’re ready for action.
Another advantage of cloud computing is that you can deploy your services all over the world. Cloud computing providers usually have global data centers, and they will be available for you to use freely.
#3. Efficiency
The utility-style payment structure in cloud computing ensures you only pay for the resources you use. This means that you don’t buy hardware upgrades every time you need extra performance for just a few hours.
Being able to get extra resources with one additional click enables you to run your operations more efficiently. You don’t need to wait for new hardware to be configured, because it’s always ready.
Services in the cloud also typically have 99.99% uptime. Cloud computing does not let you suffer downtime and potential revenue loss due to a hardware failure.
#4. Flexibility
While classic computing infrastructures are fixed in your office, cloud computing resources are located in the provider’s data centers. So, they have a lot more available resources, ready to serve many clients.
Therefore, with cloud computing you get the advantage of using as many resources as you need, at any time. You don’t need to make any hardware upgrades in order to handle more traffic when you have more active users.
#5. Ease of Accessibility
Cloud computing resources can be accessed from anywhere, and at any time. With just an internet connection, you can connect to your cloud computing resources from a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
With cloud computing, you’ll have instant access to all your work remotely. This is impossible if you’re using traditional computing hardware that can be accessed just from your office.
#6. Collaboration
Cloud computing has a big advantage for coworkers’ collaboration. Any employee can easily work remotely if your company is using cloud computing. That’s because cloud computing can be accessed with just an internet connection on your personal device.
#7. Data Backup
Backing up your data is extremely important. The last thing you need is losing all your company data due to any kind of unexpected issue.
A good rule to stick to is the 3-2-1 backup rule. According to this rule, you should have at least three copies of your data, backed up on two different media, and have one backup off-site. This way, you’re ensuring you will never lose precious data.
Using cloud computing for data backup is an advantage, because cloud computing providers already have at least one off-site backup.
#8. Software Updates
It’s good practice to be updating to the latest version of the software you’re using. That’s because updates often contain the latest security and bug patches.
When you’re using cloud computing, your provider will keep your cloud computing software up to date at all times.
Cloud Computing Disadvantages
Of course, nothing is perfect, including cloud computing. Besides all the pros of cloud computing mentioned above, there’s also some cons. Although they are not as significant as the advantages cloud computing offers, they are still worth mentioning.
When using cloud computing, you get very little space to manage your resources. Typically, cloud computing services are managed by the provider, and you get no administrative-level control. This might be a disadvantage for experienced teams of IT professionals who possess the know-how of managing systems.
And of course, since you’re fully outsourcing computing power, all your data is under control of the cloud computing provider. Even though cloud computing is considered to be safe, some concerns surrounding privacy and security can arise. You might want to consider other options if you’re dealing with sensitive information.
Finally, you might be limited by your internet connection when accessing your cloud computing resources. It’s important to have fast and reliable internet access in your offices if you’re considering using cloud computing for your company.
If you are concerned about any of these disadvantages, you should consider using dedicated server hosting for your business.
Check out our full guide to find out whether you need a dedicated server!
What Is the Difference Between Cloud Computing and Dedicated Server Hosting?
Check out the diagram below to see how cloud computing and dedicated server hosting compare!
Here’s our full guide to dedicated servers if you want to learn more!
Cloud Computing FAQ
#1. What Are the Advantages of Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing has many advantages, including low cost, fast deployment, efficiency, flexibility, and more. With cloud computing, you get on-demand computing resources, easily accessible over the internet.
#2. Is Cloud Computing Safe to Use?
Cloud computing is definitely safe and secure to use. Providers include security systems as part of their data centers to ensure your data is secure.
However, it’s good to keep in mind that your data is kept together with that of other users. If you want to have full peace of mind, you’ll enjoy the enhanced security of dedicated servers.
#3. Is Cloud Computing Better Than Dedicated Server Hosting?
Cloud computing offers better pricing if you’re not using a lot of resources, because you pay for it by the hour. However, as you scale up, and your resource usage increases, it’s better to choose dedicated server hosting.
With dedicated servers, you pay a monthly fee. If you’re expecting high resource use for a longer period, it’s cheaper to upgrade your hardware than pay a utility fee for cloud computing.
Key Takeaways
And that’s all on the advantages of cloud computing. Let’s recap what we talked about in the article:
- Cloud computing is an on-demand service that provides computing services over the web.
- Cloud computing serves many different use cases. The most popular use cases are hosting applications, storing and backing up data, analyzing big data sets, and testing production software.
- There’s many advantages to using cloud computing, including:
- Low cost
- Fast deployment
- Efficiency
- Flexibility
- Ease of accessibility
- Collaboration
- Data backup
- Software updates
- Cloud computing has it’s cons, but they are not that significant in comparison to the pros. It gives you no administrative-level control over your computing resources, and you’ll need solid internet connection to avoid lag.
- Dedicated server hosting is more suitable than cloud computing for companies that are scaling up long term, and are using hardware resources to their full capacity.
