Introduction:
As a new technological innovation in the era of networking, cloud computing has become a central technology that revolutionizes the accessibility, storage, and processing of data in today’s organizations and society. Cloud computing is self-service over the Internet offering storing and processing resources for demonstrated usage to realize practical business value. This article seeks to understand cloud computing to embrace it as a fast-moving technology that has different features and effects that pose some advantages and challenges to different sectors.
Understanding Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is a model for computing that brings computing resources such as servers, storage, databases, applications, software and networks available to the user over the internet. This removes the requirement of local infrastructure as access is granted to appointed shared resources located in the server. These resources can be obtained and used on a need by need basic; hence it is very flexible in its usage because organizations are in a position to pay for what they develop as per their needs for computing power, and storage capacity. The delivery of cloud services is done by three main methods: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). These models each present different ways of addressing user requirements while still meeting them at some level or another.
When a company outsources its IT infrastructure from a vendor or cloud service provider in order to use what is called Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), they are participating in ‘Infrastructure as a Service’ (IAAS). This type of Cloud Computing allows businesses to rent space on servers where they can store data about themselves and others securely – without having any physical equipment at home. This model enables the business to hire servers as well as storage spaces at a very flexible and affordable charge without having to go through the rigorous process of acquiring the physical equipment. The clients have a certain control over the operating systems, the application and the development environments but the cloud provider is a)responsible for the infrastructures.
Illustrations of IaaS providers include Amazon Web Service, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform. These platforms provide wide array of services which includes Virtual machines, Block storage and Networking components. Organizations can easily allocate these sources depending on its requirements and might effortlessly growth or decrease them as according to the requirement – a aspect that increases the flexibility of an organisation from owning physical devices.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
PaaS is a model which gives customers with a platform for growing, strolling, and web hosting their packages while being free from the responsibility of coping with the real hardware. This ranges from physical servers, storage, networks, and databases as well as the software defined equivalents thereby allowing the developers to concentrate more on writing code and deploying applications. PaaS is easier to use and quicker in the development processes since the provider has already preset typical environments and tools.
Some of the well-known PaaS solutions are Heroku, Google integrated Application Engine, and Microsoft Azure App Services. These platforms consist of integrated development environments (IDEs), Database management systems, and middleware that helps to ease the development process and provides shorter time periods for the development of new applications. PaaS is in particular beneficial for begin-usaand SMEs because it allows users to hastily installation and increase packages, in particular with out the want for high initial coins outlay for the purchase of device.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS entails the availability of software applications over the net, wherein the clients pay a subscription price to access the software program. Customers obtain a form of a software application on which they can run on their local devices through browser without having to install or maintain additional applications. This model provides a value proposition for end-user who needs to access different software solutions in order to solve their problems but who don’t necessarily have the resources to manage the software and hardware infrastructure to support them. Exemplary SaaS categories include customer relationship managers, web mail, and productiveness software.
Some renowned examples of SaaS include salesforce, Google workspace earlier known as G suite, and MS office 365. The functionality of these platforms varies from basic – e-mail, collaboration – to more complex such as analytics and even CRM. SaaS applications can be accessed anytime via the internet, which is quite beneficial, especially when working remotely or in a team spread across various geographical locations.
Global Data-on Demand is an organization that has embraced cloud computing as one of its exclusive service providers. It is critical to understand key characteristics of cloud computing that makes it attractive to organizations like Global Data-on Demand.
A lot of potential benefits have been associated with cloud computing based on its several key characteristics. Some of the common characteristics of Cloud Computing are as follows – Self Service – that too on demand; Multi-Tenancy; Infrastructure as a Service; Service Osborne & Hall (2012) stated that Cloud Computing has several key characteristics; these characteristics include on-demand self-service, access over the network, resource pooling, ‘elastic’ capabilities and that customers are billed for the amount of use.
On-Demand Self-Service
Cloud computing provides high utility and high flexibility because it can be accessed and used as a service without the need for assistance from a technical support person. Clients can effortlessly provision and use computing resources with the help of elegant web interfaces as well as APIs, which makes the process less time-consuming as compared to those that are dedicated to infrastructure.
For instance, the software developer or the engineering student may need to run a new application and instead of getting entangled with IT support, can create a virtual machine within minutes on AWS or GCP. This brings ability to innovate and new products into the market much faster among the advantages of using an agile process.
Broad Network Access
Autonomous system and software resources are shared over the Internet in a non-prescriptive fashion as a service rather than as a product. Writing this characteristic makes it possible that the cloud resource is availed in different places to enable the users to work effectively from remote areas.
This can be particularly beneficial to those organizations with employees located remotely. It means that instead of being limited to using computers at offices, employees can utilize their laptops, tablets or even smart phones in order to access company applications and data. This makes the operation to be efficient and also it help the businesses to get more talents from other countries.
Resource Pooling
Resource pooling is one of the fundamental principles of cloud computing, which means that multiple users are bonded to use the identical resources to reach optimum utilization. Multi-tenant models are commonly used by cloud service providers to assign and dynamically allocate resources depending on their usage to prevent resource wastage and encourage more efficient use of the resources in order to cut down on costs as much as possible not forgetting convenience in their process.
For instance, one actual physical server within using a data center, can host multiple virtual machines for use using various clients. Such a model of multitenancy enables cloud service providers to have efficient ways of pricing on the cloud as well as ensuring proper utilization of resources.
Rapid Elasticity
The cloud-computing architecture also provides quick elastic resource provisioning, which lets users increase or decrease allocated resources as necessary. This characteristic allows organization to be capable to plan on how best to meet new workloads and business needs with out a need to constantly overbuy or under-provide.
Pay-Per-Use Model
Pay-as-you-go model is another major strength of the cloud computing services; the utility is billed based on the amount of utility used. The system minimizes capital consumption during the initial phases of implementation and enables organizations to set their spending in correspondence to actual demand.
For instance, a firm with an ongoing marketing campaign can request extra computing assets in support of its promotional efforts and only be charged for the extra utilization. This flexibility makes it possible for businesses to plan well for their spending and avoid having huge infrastructure lying dormant and unproductive.
Impact of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing implies a wide range of changes as to various fields and industries, and as to the business models and people’s experience of using various kinds of services. It is seen operating in the business sectors, the health sector, and the educational sector enhancing the performance and efficiency.
Business Sector
The importance of cloud computing in the business sector cannot be overlooked due to the change it has brought to data storage and processing. From this point of view, organizations can store tremendous amounts of data in the cloud safely and eradicating physical infrastructure, and maintenance costs also are not an issue. In addition, cloud supported platforms can function at variable capacities and quickly add shipping solutions as per the dynamic business environment.
For instance, many streaming platforms such as Netflix use cloud computing to ensure that millions of clients are served appropriately. This implies that through this Cloud infrastructure, Netflix can manage its resources in a way to meet its changing demands of clients in viewing content.
The advancement of cloud computing has also promoted knowledge and cooperation in technology by offering a stable platform. This implies that through the use of tools and services that exist in cloud computing, developers are better placed to create and implement applications first time around. Further, cloud computing has led to the appearance of a new model in the provision of software, the Saas model that allows a user to use certain software through subscriptions without installing the applications.
Healthcare Sector
Cloud computing has emerged as a critical component of change in the areas of health by offering numerous health benefits for patients and researchers. That make it possible to store and share the patients’ Electronic Health Records in a secure manner and makes the handling of patients health records easier for the various health care providers. Additionally, analytics and machine learning solutions enable clinicians to gain great insights from the mountains of medical data, which helps diagnose and treat patients.
Telemedicine and remote patient monitoring are facilitated by cloud computing which makes it possible for the healthcare practitioners to extend services to patients who are in areas that are at a distance, or those that are not fully served. This accessibility also improves the quality of services delivered and makes it possible to provide solutions to distressing situations during calamities.
For example, during the COVID-19 crisis, most healthcare organizations embraced telemedicine techniques to continuing conducting remote sessions and checking on their patients without the need for physical contact. Platform-based solutions provided doctors an ability to address their patients remotely, including; reviewing patients’ records, video consultations, and prescribing drugs – all of which ensured patients received proper care without the risk of getting infected.
Education Sector
Cloud computing has acted as a revolution to education sector and has made it convenient to intake education for children all over the world especially through remote learning and collaborations. The different cloud platforms can be adopted to disseminate learning materials, course modules, and other resources, as well as learning resources and collaborative applications to students in educational institutions. In the current COVID-19 pandemic for instance, the system has continuously allowed education to be delivered with little disruption.
Learning management systems or also called Virtual learning environment, help the tutors to conduct the online tests, help in tracking the performance of the student and offer individual and differentiated learning experiences. Moreover, cloud computing helped in creating virtual classrooms and assisted educators to make their lessons informative and assertive despite the prevailing geographical barriers.
For example, Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams now cannot be considered as learning technologies but necessities in the classroom and student life. These platforms allow for real-time collaboration and activities including instant messaging and the upload and sharing of files, mimicking the classroom experience in a virtual space.
Compliance and Regulations
It is deemed essential for the organizations to pay attention to compliance with the trends encountered in organizations’ industries due to the existence of announced industry-specific standards for cloud computing. For instance, healthcare organizations/stakeholders are required to strongly embrace the Health Insurance Portability and we must implement the Healthcare and Insurance Accountability Act (HIPAA) to safeguard the information of patients. Establishments in the financial sector are bound by rules and regulations that relate to matters dealing with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as well as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). There are strict regulations and violations of these can lead to many repercussions including severe penalties and Reputation – management risks.
Therefore, organizations ought to engage cloud providers and find out different ways of compliance. This entails assessing the provider in terms of his/her security measures, practices of handling and disposing of data and demonstrating his/her power of audit. Some of the certifications and attestations that are provided by some cloud providers are compliance certifications for services that meet the compliance benchmarks.
Internet Connectivity and Downtime
Dependence on the internet for the delivery of cloud services entails risks, including; Shortage of internet connection and connection interruptions. Such risks demand that organisations need to have a good backup and disaster recovery strategy in place. Such measures as having multiple connections to the network and having plans for fail-safe mechanisms can make it possible to have uninterrupted access to the services that are hosted in the cloud.
For example, an e-commerce organization that uses the internet and cloud services to host the business and its transactions must have a disaster recovery plan. Such a plan could mean always having an extra data center that a company can use if one becomes unavailable or using a couple of cloud services to implement the same.
Vendor Lock-In
It is however crucial to consider that by adopting cloud computing, an organization may be locked into their vendors. Ah, migrating from one cloud service provider to another is often a difficult and expensive process because the CSPs may be based on very different systems and architecture, use different API and data formats, and so on. Cloud providers need to be selected after careful consideration and more than one solution should be adopted such that if on cannot stick to one the other can be utilized to avoid being locked up.
For instance, a company which primarily relies on AWS as its primary cloud computing service provider may rely on GCP for additional services or as an AWS backup. This approach can help minimize risk, achieve diversification, protect against any monopolistic actions and ensure flexibility through working with different cloud providers.
Cost Management
Although using actual volumes is a cost cutting measure, still cost management in clouds can sometime be a daunting task. It is imperatively upon organizations that use these systems to ensure that they keep track of their usage and correspondingly strive to ensure that they manage their resources in ways that the costs that they are bound to incur are not unpredictable. Using cost management strategies and techniques, which include the establishment of costs, assessment of usage and optimization of the need for the resources, can go a long way in managing cost.
Here, we present some of the available tools at the disposal of cloud providers for metering cost in cloud environments. For instance, AWS has Cost Explorer and Trusted Advisor that enables users to evaluate spending, and get tips on potential cost optimization opportunities. Organizations ought to ensure that they monitor their cloud consumption and optimization of resources to match the budgeted and organizational requirement.
Conclusion
Cloud computing is the real deal, which made a difference in how companies run their operations, individuals consume services, and industries address challenges and opportunities. Thus, its potential for large-scale adoption, versatility and affordability have paved way for more innovative opportunities within different industries, enable digital innovation. However, security, legal and compliance, and possible risks are the concerns that organizations face in adopting the cloud solutions model. When it comes to its prospects, cloud computing is without a doubt a prounounced tned which refers to its ability to transform the world of Information Technologies further on as the technology progresses and new potentials of cloud services emerge.
This paper provides a brief overview of cloud computing definition, outlining its key characteristics, strengths as well as some of the major limitations or drawbacks while highlighting the need for organizations to strategize on how to best adopt this revolutionary innovation. Cloud computing will remain a dominant technology space, and its adoption is poised to grow in the future defining the course of business and other sectors in fields such as healthcare and education for the digital age.
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