Cloud computing technology is stirring a quiet revolution for those interested in geeky things.
Now that cloud computing is out of its early years of trial and error with early hiccups resolved, its considered a battle-tested, proven technology. Consequently, it’s widely used by consumers who want on-demand services like 24/7 email, by businesses who want to scale up their technology to become world-class contenders, and by application developers looking for a way to quickly innovate new solutions to stay competitive in emerging markets.
Cloud Computing: Upgrading Civilization
How cloud computing is changing the world … without you knowing
Cloud computing can be considered as revolutionary as Gutenberg’s printing press or the development of digital books.
In 1445, Gutenberg’s printing press, replaced the slow process of writing and illustrating books by hand. Then in 1998, The Softbook, the first eBook, transformed publishing from printed books to digital ones. This was only recently followed up with eReaders, devices from Kindle, Nook, and IPad to upload eBooks, making it possible to carry an entire library in your backpack on a mountain hike.
Similarly, cloud computing is replacing the need for companies to buy servers, build special climate-controlled rooms, and hire an army of IT professionals to babysit the expensive technology. For this reason, the use of cloud computing is accelerating in enterprises.
Today, any company can access a robust infrastructure and use enterprise-level applications quickly and relatively inexpensively.
Small to large companies can all immediately benefit from the multitenancy model and take full advantage of user friendly tech, built-in security, reliable uptime, and upgradeable software. Application developers, too, can enjoy out-of-the-box analytics software and work on their project at mobile deployment speed.
Gone are the days when it was necessary to build, manage, and maintain a server–dependent infrastructure to run a company.
3 Major Problems Resolved by Cloud Computing
6 Ways Cloud Computing Helps Businesses Save Time and Money
Just as the first printed book resolved the problem of slow production of books and widespread illiteracy, cloud computing has also resolved massive problems that appeared to have no solution.
Here are 3 recurring headaches that were experienced by legacy technology:
- Timing. The time it took to be first to market by developing business applications. Delays were caused by the cost of outfitting developers with the tools they needed to get the job done.
- Expenses. The high expense of paying for servers, state-of-the art software solutions, point-to-point connections, and other technical hassles.
- Manpower. Since much of the work done by the IT teams time was setting up, troubleshooting, and maintaining hardware and installing, managing, and upgrading software, there was little manpower time or talent left to create significant new projects to improve the company’s bottom line.
7 Benefits of Cloud Computing
16 Ways The Cloud Will Change Our Lives
1. Cloud computing levels the playing field. It’s much easier to use enterprise-class software. Previously, only large, prosperous companies could afford to buy state-of-the-art software, but now any company can use top software for their business under the rental model initiated by cloud computing called SaaS, or software as a service.
2. Cloud computing offers top-notch delivery. Cloud computing is structured to offer almost continuous uptime, comprehensive disaster recovery, and ease of scalability.
3. Cloud computing is hassle-free. There is no need for an IT team to set up your hardware, nor do they need to install and upgrade your software. Everything is done for you by the cloud service provider, so you have more time to find the next item on your to-do list.
4. Cloud computing makes setting up fast, easy, and inexpensive. Besides the simplicity of a getting a company’s computer system up and running quickly, capital expenditures are also significantly reduced. There is no need for spending months, perhaps years, and possibly millions before employees could log into a new solution.
5. Cloud computing supports deep customization. Even extensive customization or massive integration will only take a few weeks or months. Cloud computing can be customized and it is an excellent choice for highly complex businesses. Not only can customizations be deep, but all configurations are preserved, even after an upgrade.
6. Cloud computing is easy to use. With cloud computing non-techy business users can access the cloud from anywhere in the world without any problem. This makes it easy for a company to share its project data with remote workers or freelancers.
7. Cloud computing makes upgrades easy. Before the advent of the cloud, IT budgets were strained by upgrades to the latest app version. Time, money, and effort was necessary to rebuild, customize, and integrate.
The New GUI?
13 computers that changed the world
Cloud computing is to businesses what GUI was to early computer users.
Do you remember what GUI did for the world of computers?
Here’s a reminder from webopedia: “The first graphical user interface was designed by Xerox Corporation’s Palo Alto Research Center in the 1970s, but it was not until the 1980s and the emergence of the Apple Macintosh that graphical user interfaces became popular. One reason for their slow acceptance was the fact that they require considerable CPU power and a high-quality monitor, which until recently were prohibitively expensive.”
Before the point-and-click ease of GUI, using a computer looked more like coding, and now even a child can use a computer. Similarly, with cloud computing, even companies with a small technology budget and no IT staff can have robust computer technology at their fingertips.