With the increasing bandwidth, processing power, and affordability of the internet, many large tech companies are offering cloud computing services to other businesses. Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform are just three of the most notable examples of cloud computing platforms.
Cloud computing: How it Works
The idea behind cloud computing is simple. Instead of an individual computer or server having all the software, programs, and applications it needs to perform a task downloaded to its local disk, a cloud server contains all the necessary data and programs and can be accessed through the internet without storing data on a user’s computer. One example of this that most people are familiar with is Google Gmail, a cloud based email service. Like Gmail, other cloud services, like word processors, spreadsheet editors, presentation programs, and more can be accessed by a user from any computer at any time.
Cloud computing also offers people and businesses the ability to rent cloud server infrastructure to support digital business needs like websites, company data storage, and email servers. Below is a short list of the pros and cons of cloud computing
Pros of Cloud Computing Services
- Lower initial cost due to not needing to buy server networking hardware
- System and Server updates are handled by the Cloud Computing Platform
- Server Security is handled by the Cloud Computing Platform
- Easier setup and maintenance
Cons of Cloud Computing Services
- Monthly rental costs may surpass the price of in house servers/software
- Less control over the specifics of your hardware/software
- If the Cloud Services Platform fails, the user will have to wait for the company to fix the issue before services can come back online