In this article, we’ll cover the 7 advantages of cloud computing and we’ll see why it’s a trend that will continue to grow in the future.
The main advantage is that you can rent the service you need without having to manage the underlying infrastructure. It can save businesses a significant amount of time and money, so they can concentrate on their core business and add value for their clients.
These are the 7 advantages of cloud computing:
Advantage #1: Ease of use
Cloud computing providers generally provide a service that is very easy
to use. You buy the service and the before then next day you’ll have access to it. Nothing to install, to configure or to develop (depending on the service, you may have to install a local application).
Advantage #2: Accessibility
It’s online and available 24/7, whether you’re in North America or in Asia. All you
need is a fast enough internet connection and you’ll be able to use their system.
The same thing could be done with an in-house infrastructure, but it would require a significant effort on implementation, security and testing to achieve the same results
Advantage #3: Flexible and scalable
When you buy a new server for your company’s infrastructure, generally what happens is that if after a year it is overused, you’ll buy a new one. That is
another round of buying/installation/testing the new hardware. If it is underused, it will just sit there, not being used to its full capacity – most of the time a server is used at less than 20% of its capacity. That is a costly investment not being used efficiently.
Cloud computing allows resources utilization to be much more efficient. Let’s take the 1 year later example, but with a rented server from a local provider. All you would have to do after a year is to ask your provider to either put up a new server or to scale down the one you already have.
They already have the infrastructure to support your new needs, all you have to do is ask you supplier and they’ll adjust the monthly fee. So, you will pay for exactly what you need, no more, no less.
In cloud computing, a provider shares their infrastructure to hundred, thousands and even millions of users. This allows a better utilization of IT resources.
Advantage #4: Cost
No upfront investment needed
Using a cloud computing service has the advantage of eliminating the needed investment in technology. No infrastructure to buy, install and manage because you’ll pay a recurrent fee to have access to your service.
This is particularly an advantage for small businesses and startups. By leveraging the investment made by their provider, they can use their money to better use, like business development or employees training.
Cost predictability
The predictability of the costs is also a major advantage. No more unpredicted spending of money because the server failed or the latest update caused a bug.
With cloud computing, you know exactly how much it will cost you for the whole year.
Possible reduced cost of ownership
One of the other advantages of cloud computing is that, by using cloud computing
instead of using your own infrastructure, you can also reduce the cost of ownership. Since you don’t have to manage the infrastructure required to run your service, you can save greatly in installation costs and maintenance.
But you have to do the calculation. Keep in mind that over the years, your company may eventually pay more than it would if it just bought the server in the
first place. Also, if your business uses a lot of data or has a lot of users, the cost can quickly increase.
Advantage #5: Increased Security
By using a cloud computing service, you can increase the security of your IT
infrastructure. The providers are specialized in what they are doing, so they should have safer and better practices than a normal, non-specialized business. They are more up-to-date on new risks and security threats.
They will also take greater care of their systems. Since it’s their core business, they will manage updates, security issues and risks more efficiently than you would. You should therefore have a safer system.
Keep in mind that cloud computing also involves serious security risks as well. See the article on cloud computing security risks for more information.
Advantage #6: Access to leading technology
The company that sells, for example, a development platform – see PAAS
– will have more money to invest and allow more time for learning new technologies related to their core business. Their clients should therefore have access to a better technology than they would if they were managing they own platform.
They will allow a greater budget and be more up-to-date on leading technologies since they can divide the cost on all their customers. So with cloud computing, you can have access to technologies that your company wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford.
Advantage #7: No need to update
Another of the advantages of cloud computing is that you’ll never have to update
the server, the software or the platform. Normally, each couple of months you have to install patches to make sure the software runs well and each year you have to update to the newer version.
Using an online provider eliminates that problem. They will manage the updates automatically and most of the time there will be no down time. You’ll still have
to follow and learn the evolutions of the product (in the case of a software or a platform), but you’ll always have the latest version without the burden of updating.
One of the drawbacks is that they could update in a bad period for you. That means that the system could be down during a crucial time for your business.
Normally updates should take a couple of minutes or even seconds. So should not even notice most of them. But once in a while, let’s say once a year, the providers will have to update their systems.
Concentrate on your core business
We’ve covered the 7 advantages of cloud computing, but all those advantages can be combined in only one: by using cloud computing, a business can concentrate its efforts on its core business and, thus, provide more value its customers.
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