Cloud Computing Article

Introduction

Cloud Computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage and computing power, without direct active management by the user. The term is is generally used to describe data centers available to many users over the internet. Large clouds, predominant today, often have functions distributed over multiple locations from central servers. If the connection to the user is relatively close, it may be designated an edge server.

Clouds may be lmited to a single organization (enterprise clouds) or be available to many organizations (public cloud). Cloud computing relies on sharing of resources to achieve coherence and economies of scale.

The term "Cloud Computing" was popularised with Amazon.com releasing its Elastic Compute Cloud product in 2006, however the phrase has actually been used since 1996 in a Compaq internal document.

There were many businesses using offering services similar to Cloud Computing before Amazon existed, such as Telecommunication companies and IBM, offering virtual private networks (VPNs) and utilising server use and brandwidth to maximum efficiency.

Features

Resources Pooling - Cloud Providers pull the computing resources to provide services to multiple customers with the help of a multi-tenant model. There are different physical and virtual resources assigned and reassigned which depends o the demand of the customer. The customer generally has no control or information over the location of the provided resources but is able to specify location at a higher level of abstraction.

Easy Maintenance - The servers are easily maintained and the downtime is very low and eve in some cases, there is no downtime. Cloud Computing comes up with an update every time by gradually making it better, The updates are more compatible with the devices and perform faster than older ones with the bugs which are fixed.

Economical - It is the one-time investment as the company (host) has to buy the storage and a small part of it can be provided to the many companies which save the host from monthly or yearly costs. Only the amount which is spent is on the basic maintenance and a few more expenses which are very less.

Pay as you go - In Cloud Computing, the user has to pay only for the service or the space they have utilized. There is no hidden or extra charge which is to be paid. The service is economical and most of the time some space is allotted for free.

There are more features - Please see the sources to read more.

Pros/Cons

Cloud Computing has its pros and cons:

Pros	Cons
Cost Efficient - Cloud Computing is probably the most cost-efficient method to use, maintain and upgrade. Traditional desktop software costs companies a lot in terms of finance. Adding up the licensing fees for multiple users can prove to be very expensive for the establishment concerned. The Cloud, on the other hand, is available at much cheaper rates and hence, can significantly lower the company's IT expenses. Besides, there are many one-time-payment, pay-as-you-go and other scalable options available, which makes it reasonable for the company in question.	Security in the Cloud - There are some Security issues with the Cloud. Before adopting this technology you should know that you will be surrendering all of your company's sensitive information to a third-party cloud service provider. This could potentially put your company at great risk. Hence, you need to make absolutely sure that you choose the most reliable service provider, who will keep your information totally secure.
Almost Unlimited Storage - Storing information in the Cloud gives you almost unlimited storage capacity. Hence, you no more need to worry about running out of storage space or increasing your current storage space availability.	Alternatives - There are alternatives to Cloud Computing that are out there such as using your very own servers, using email, databases. These may not beat Cloud Computing on many aspects, but may be needed for what you are doing.
Backup and Recovery - Since all your data is stored in the Cloud, backing it up and restoring the same is relatively much easier than storing the same on a physical device. Furthermore, most Cloud Service Providers are usually competent enough to handle the recovery of information. Hence, this makes the entire process of backup and recovery much simpler than other traditional methods of data storage.	Prone to Attack - Storing information in the Cloud could make your company vulnerable to external hack attacks and threats. As you are well aware, nothing on the Internet is completely secure and hence, there is always possibility of stealth of sensitive data.
Automatic Software Integration - In the Cloud, software integration is usually something that occurs automatically. This means that you do not need to take additional efforts to customize and integrate your applications as per your preferences. This aspect usually takes care of itself. Not only that, cloud computing allows you to customize your options with great ease. Hence, you can handpick just those services and software applications that you think will best suit your particular enterprise.	Technical Issues - Though it is true that information and data on the cloud can be accessed anytime and from anywhere at all, there are times when this system can have some serious dysfunction. You should be aware of the fact that this technology is always prone to outages and other technical issues. Even the best Cloud Service Providers run into this kind of trouble, in spite of keeping up high standards of maintenance. Besides, you will need a very good Internet Connection to be logged onto the server at all times. You will invariably be stuck in case of network and connectivity problems.

Extra Programs

Cloud Computing Services - Amazon Web Services, IBM Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Google Drive / Docs / Sheets
The Internet of things, Big data
Cloud Servers
Alternatives - Email Services, CRM, Static Servers, Databases

Sources

Summary

In conclusion:

Like everything else, Cloud Computing has its pros and cons, while the technology can prove to be a great asset to your company, it could also cause harm if not understood and used properly. However, the pros do outweigh the cons, and Cloud Computing is relatively cheaper than it was years ago, just be careful of the security threats.