Cloud computing offers a solution to universities, research laboratories, the military, and the government agencies which utilize supercomputers to do complex jobs like securing the nation, searching for solutions to medical dilemmas, and analyzing the effects of climate change. It is capable of making billions and trillions of computations per second.
Through cloud computing, users are able to perform tasks like analysis of sales data, storing medical information of patients, and estimating business venture risks. In general, cloud computing includes infrastructure-as-a-service, software-as-a-service, and platform-as-a-service. For a regular business, the computing costs are the same and the service provider often absorbs any upfront costs related to cloud computing.
The infrastructure of cloud computing is often located off-site and accessible through the internet. It is usually provided by a 3rd-part and users do not need to have technological expertise. Loss of control and access along with potential security risks are common issues raised against cloud computing. Users, however, experience device and location independence and they can access different applications through a web browser using different devices.
Often, cloud computing is confused with autonomic computing, grid computing, and utility computing although a lot of providers do rely on grids. It does share some traits with autonomic computing and have the same billing methods like those used by utilities. In recent times, these same providers have expanded and those systems available now no longer have centralized billing infrastructures or systems. Large business organizations are now tapping the biggest cloud computing services providers for their needs.
Cloud computing was able to raise awareness towards resource optimization. Business executives are now looking into savings they’ll generate from support personnel, software licenses, power, and space if they get to the cloud. Initial steps are being undertaken by businesses, which not yet ready to bring their computing requirements to the cloud, to pool and consolidated data and computing resources as well as software efficiency.
On-demand, scaling, and automation features often lessen delivery lead-time for services and software to just a few minutes which results to controlled steady-state expenses, diminished time-to-value, and captured runaway demand. Cloud computing is able to push these business organizations to adopt technological strategies and investment practices as well as operating models in order to balance operating cash flows, capital outlays, control, time, and opportunity.
Cloud computing operating practices and technologies turn support and delivery into a commodity. It offers an alternative to business executives. Those providers of information technology have to step up their profiles and offerings so that they get nearest to their suppliers and customers, and business innovation by providing a new and better capability delivery. They need to adopt architectural practices, management, and technology strategies so that they provide products and services which can be easily bundled.
Cloud computing is also able to show its effectiveness with regards to software design discipline. It is totally dependent upon the deployment readiness, quality, and design of its software in order for it to provide cost containment, performance, resource optimization, and scalability.
Lastly, cloud computing also paves the way for the emergence of platforms. Along with mobility and Web 2.0, it has altered the development experience from working with data storage, middleware protocols, and O/S services to application programming interface and development toolkits. Developers can take advantage of cloud computing presentation, assembly, data, and infrastructure services then add their own configurations and/or codes to bring about new personal, consumer, or business capabilities.