Innovations within the computing industry are always occurring. Year after year, new and groundbreaking technologies create breakthroughs in computing, evolving, progressing, and driving development within the technological sphere. However, this past year established a new environment that rendered many of these innovative technologies obsolete for how the world has changed. Change is good, but adapting to seamlessly integrate brand new experiences and ways of doing things can be hard. 

What a year of extraordinary circumstances have taught us is that the established methods of doing business are not absolute. In many ways, they’re unnecessary, and technologies that relied on those spaces are by extension able to be left behind. Remote work and remote collaboration has evolved the workplace, taking company infrastructure to another level. We don’t necessarily need the same focus on famous local sites or datacenters anymore. The functionality and accessibility of remote workforces is paving the way to a new era of computer systems and operations. 

According to Gartner, global end-user spending on public cloud services is expected to grow by 18.4% in 2021 to reach $304.9 billion, up from $257.5 billion in 2020. An enormous uptick in value and large-scale utilization is telling evidence about where companies will gravitate in the future. Software as a Service (SaaS) continues to be the largest segment of this market and is expected to grow to $117.7 billion in 2021. The future and dominance of cloud computing is both inevitable and looming.

Top Cloud Computing Companies 

So what is cloud computing? In the olden days, every company would be responsible for their organization’s own infrastructure. That includes storage, data centers, applications, assets, and so on. These resources were, for the most part, on-premise, and their utility was directly tied to a central location with little leeway for remote work. What cloud computing offers is a disconnect from the responsibilities of handling every aspect of your network’s infrastructure without dropping in performance or sustainability. 

Now, cloud computing provides on-demand computer resources accessible through the internet, leveraging a third-party provider’s services to host your network’s domain, data, and computing capability from a remote location. While on-premise networks and data centers are still prevalent, industries around the world are steadily moving more toward established cloud computing vendors to deliver resources and services through the internet. 

Once you’re aware of it, you’ll see it everywhere. Within the past decade, the global market has seen a massive rise in available cloud computing services as they become more and more present as functional, reliable vendors for infrastructure. Magazines, marketing, advertising, media - the brands and names of multiple technology companies have been establishing a strong public presence for their services: Microsoft, Google, AWS, IBM, Alestra, KIO Networks, Salesforce, Alibab, Oracle, and more. In addition to these, there are some national or international brands functioning either regionally or by sectors. 

There’s a rising demand for capable cloud computing brands as businesses assess their value and determine how beneficial they are to current policies, practices, and cost-effective strategies. However, the demand for quantity and quality of cloud services, as well as the increasing demand for new and different services, have pivoted brands to offer the widest range of services in the three known cloud models: Public, Private, and Hybrid.

Economic Growth 

One of the leading goals for companies and cloud computing providers is economic growth. Today, we can find a multitude of tools that enable us to develop fast and continuous solutions suited to optimize costs and workflows. Converging versatility, flexibility, and cost-effective infrastructure design are hallmarks for cloud operations. Essentially, the public cloud provides companies with a great advantage, possessing solid pillars ideal for promoting economic growth, not only for the company, but also for each country in which technological solutions developed through public cloud services are implemented. 

The nature of innovation is fast, fleeting, and subject to massive changes in short increments. In a world where technological growth is constantly changing and instituting new demands, the adoption of change in terms of computing technologies could mean, for many industries, new and constant investments in information technology systems that lead to additional budgetary costs. In spite of this, and based on analysis and monthly and annual consumption results, an accurate, effective migration plan to the cloud could result in savings of up to 50 or 50 percent compared to the operating costs of local, on-premise infrastructures. 

Most Relevant Myths of Cloud Computing 

Like with any high-profile entity, cloud computing has collected its fair share of myths about flaws, misattributions, functionality, and cost. Differentiating truth from fiction can be tough, so we’re going to list some of the most common myths out there about cloud computing and illuminate you about its actual usage. 

Myth 1: Security is the biggest risk. 

A strictly online presence may seem like it carries a greater level of risk involved, especially with how prevalent cyber threats seem to be, but cloud computing integrity is as, if not more, reliable than on-premise solutions. Recognizable cloud providers tend to put large amounts of effort into securing their platforms, ensuring all hosted domains receive adequate preventative measures to protect their infrastructure. 

This myth can become a reality, however, when companies have weak or under-strengthened security strategies, as well as a lack of knowledge of how certain tools are best implemented or used. Cloud platform providers offer a fair bit of security, but the onus over the safety of your company’s data still relies on your teams. Make sure your cybersecurity program is optimized and efficiently integrated, and take notice of your cyberthreat environment and how it’s changing with proactive preventative measures. 

Myth 2: Everything works better in the cloud. 

While this myth is true to a certain extent, it’s not perfectly accurate. There are some applications, tools, and architectures that work better through on-premise locations, since every type of data center and network hosting solutions has their own individual strengths and weaknesses. In actuality, this myth is only true insofar as we are talking about legacy software and/or tools that were designed under very strict hardware, software, and licensions (versioning) specifications. 

Myth 3: It is always cheaper to run on the cloud. 

Different costs are involved in different stages of the process. It’s not always cheaper to run applications or software in the cloud, at least not in the beginning. With prolonged use, however, using those assets on the cloud becomes more profitable. The cloud works best for varying demands and workloads, such as when you have a lot of demand at one time and less during others. 

Moreover, the cloud helps optimize workloads that become repetitive, constant, or tedious, and allows us to automate processes with low development cost. 

Myth 4: The cloud destroys jobs. 

Quite the contrary! In fact, instead of destroying jobs, the cloud creates them. By the end of 2015, cloud computing had created more than 13 million jobs worldwide, providing careers for countless individuals. What the cloud actually requires are engineers with cloud expertise whose skills and knowledge will sustain and strengthen growth and development with the abstraction of computing in mind. 

Myth 5: Migrating to the cloud is difficult. 

Well, migrating to the cloud isn’t easy, insofar as your teams will have their work cut out for them. The migration itself is very doable, however, so long as you thoroughly outline your migration plan in advance and work with the right teams. As we mentioned before, migrating can be realized so long as you have a little experience, a solid migration strategy, and a clean-up or upgrade of your current architecture. 

Cloud computing does involve new architectural models that have only relatively recently been created. However, though the models might be new, the basics of computing, communication, and/or software engineering that we are intimately familiar with for years are still followed to the letter. Sticking to the fundamentals pays off for simplifying and streamlining the migration process.

Types of Cloud Services: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, Serverless 

 IaaS: 

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is an immediate computing infrastructure that is provisioned and managed over the internet. IaaS scales down and vertically based on demand, allowing you to pay only for what you use. It avoids the expense and complexity of buying and managing your own physical servers and other related data center infrastructure. 

PaaS: 

Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a complete development and deployment environment in the cloud, using resources that enable you to deliver everything from simple cloud-based applications to sophisticated cloud-enabled enterprise applications. You buy the resources you need from a cloud service provider, which you access through a secure internet connection, but you only pay for the use you make of them. 

SaaS: 

Software as a Service (SaaS) allows users to connect to and use cloud-based applications over the internet. Common examples include email, calendars, and office tools like Microsoft 365 or G SUITE. 

Serverless: 

Serverless computing allows developers to create applications faster, since they don’t need to manage the infrastructure themselves. With serverless applications, the cloud service provider automatically provisions, scales, and manages the infrastructure needed to run the code. 

10 Advantages of Cloud Computing 

We’ve now established a few of the core concepts fundamental to cloud computing. Since we know a little more about this topic now, we can define from a technological and business point-of-view what would be the 10 most important advantages of cloud computing. 

Easy and Targeted Migration

Any site migration has its fair share of work involved, but cloud computing simplifies the process by providing intuitive interfaces designed to easily incorporate and facilitate site functionality. Cloud computing providers offer tools and resources to aid in migration, helping teams easily choose what to migrate as well as easily place content in their intended locations. 

Reduced Operation and Implementation Costs

You will not be responsible for managing the full volume of your company’s infrastructure and site hosting platform. Cloud computing providers are largely in charge of maintaining their platforms, ensuring available resources are accessible and optimized. By managing much of the overall backend, companies reduce overall costs by leveraging customizable paying options. 

Simplified Administration

Cloud computing centralizes most of your site’s functions, assets, and processes through a single control panel. Unlike physical data centers and on-premise infrastructures, cloud computing ensures that everything administrators need for transparency into daily operations is streamlined, centralized, and intuitive. 

Increased Security and Protection of Infrastructure and Information

Cloud providers have their reputation just as much on the line as your own company does when it comes to security. That’s why, when it comes to reputable best-in-class cloud computing providers, online platforms have extensive security measures guaranteeing the safety and integrity of your infrastructure and data. 

Service Reliability

Leveraging cloud platforms means your site will experience less downtime, since most providers will have redundant backup data centers in the case of emergency and consistent maintenance for quality uptime experiences. With an already established, widespread network available, service is reliable for uninterrupted, high-quality online performance. 

New Technologies at Our Service

Cloud computing exists on the cutting edge of technological innovation. Each year introduces new technologies available for companies to integrate with their infrastructure, providing a direct line between your company and the newest applications, products, and services available on the market. With the cloud offering more frontline access to new tech, companies can accelerate growth rates and easily scale to meet business objectives.

Modernization of Current Technologies

The demands set by cloud computing have pushed our current technologies to adapt to an online market. As a result, there’s greater integration and compatibility between current technologies and the evolving digital landscape, extending tech relevancy and utility for years longer. The tech industry is consistently at odds with obsolescence, making modernization of current technologies essential for reducing costs and increasing efficiency. 

Generation of New Jobs

Like we stated before, cloud computing is responsible for an entire new field of work, jumpstarting careers and expanding the market. The addition of millions of new jobs promotes company economic growth, enabling you to develop your workforce while increasing your ROI. Enhancing the size, quality, and market relevancy of your workforce empowers companies to meet demands without overextending your resources.

Business Vision

The cloud opens up an entire new field of play. Business objectives that might have been previously unachievable have new avenues and channels to grow your company. The versatility, convenience, and power available through cloud computing is essential for helping companies fully realize their business vision through access to new resources, infrastructures, and tools.

Scalable and Resilient Resources

Cloud computing providers have access to seemingly unlimited resources ideal for supporting your company’s success. These assets are integral for ensuring your company can sustainably grow, scaling infrastructure design, applications, and tools to easily maintain a stable internal ecosystem. Access to the right tools helps prevent common issues that occur when companies aren’t able to effectively scale.

Conclusion 

In my ten years of experience with the use, management, administration, analysis, and architecture of cloud computing, I believe that there are still important gaps that bear attention. However, considering the exponential growth of new technologies that we have today, we can firmly establish that cloud computing is an all but inevitable entity to embrace. Every company and professional in the industry will eventually need to invest in it. We can’t afford to be afraid of change, since change itself is immanent in progress and growth. We must be resilient and venture into one of the most important advancements that the technological world has for us, prioritizing growth and improvement as cornerstones for success. 

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