Cloud Computing: An Introduction

SAP one of the most valuable technology companies was recently in the news, regarding their major restructuring program that will see 4,400 employees leave the organisation. The CEO Bill McDermott has said growth will come from their Cloud business which they aim to triple between now 2023. So what is cloud and why is it so important?
Over the next few weeks we will look in to the popularity of Cloud computing and how it affects our lives and the uptake in the business world.

Simply put, cloud computing is the delivery of computing services – servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, intelligence and more – over the Internet (known as “the cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources and economies of scale. You typically only pay for cloud services you use, helping lower your operating costs, run your infrastructure more efficiently and scale as your business needs change.
Cloud computing is a big shift from the traditional way businesses think about their IT resources.

Common reasons why organisations are turning to cloud computing services:

• Cost – Cloud computing eliminates the capital expense of buying hardware and software, running on-site data centres, round-the-clock electricity for power and cooling, and obviously paying the IT experts for managing the infrastructure. It adds up quickly…
• Speed – Most cloud computing services are provided as self service and on demand, so even vast amounts of computing resources can be provisioned in minutes, typically with just a few mouse clicks, giving businesses a lot of flexibility, and therefore taking the pressure off capacity planning.
• Global scale – The benefits of cloud computing services include the ability to scale elastically. In cloud speak, that means delivering the correct amount of IT resources – for example, computing power, storage, bandwidth – when it’s needed, and from the correct geographic location.
• Productivity – On-site data centres typically require a lot of “racking and stacking”. This includes hardware setup, software patching and other time-consuming IT management tasks. Cloud computing removes the need for many of these tasks, so IT teams can spend time on achieving more important business goals.
• Performance – The biggest cloud computing services run on a worldwide network of secure data centres, which are regularly upgraded to the latest generation of fast and efficient computing hardware. This offers several benefits over a single corporate data centre, including reduced network latency for applications and greater economies of scale.
• Security – Many cloud providers offer a broad set of policies, technologies and controls that strengthen your security posture overall, helping to protect your data, apps and infrastructure from potential threats.

Why Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is playing a big impact in our lives in many ways, every day.

While the technology has been described and commented on at length technically, very few studies have focused on its impact on everyday life. We are, as never before, seeing cloud technology impact our world on many levels. But what are the effects of these systemic changes?

The likes of YouTube and Google are testimony to a shift in how people are now interacting with others. From remote locations to the global centre stage, an event can reach the four corners of the planet by going viral. Anyone can turn into an instant reporter, and live news feeds are constantly streaming the media, at times sparking social upheavals.

It has never been as easy to look out for long forgotten friends and classmates with the explosion of social networks and websites proposing ways to connect and relate through online communities. Facebook is of course a primary example.

Public figures and politicians, too, are now turning to social channels such as Twitter to get a feel of the community and convey their views while bearing the pressure and influence from the groups they are looking at leading.

What impact will Cloud computing have in the business?

There are positive as well as negative impacts of Cloud Computing in the business world. Small and medium sized businesses are adopting this technology at a faster pace than larger organisations. Cloud computing for them is profitable because of its benefits. One of the models of cloud computing is its pay as you go scheme that contributes to cutting costs. Businesses that opt for this buy only the services which they need, and when they need them, therefore, they can add or remove services according to their need and thereby cut costs. Another factor would be convenient to small and medium size businesses as they do not have to worry about maintaining databases, expensive computer systems, out of date equipment’s, install anti viruses or upgrade software’s, etc.
Large businesses, however, would not benefit as much from the Clouds virtual offering. Large scale companies would eliminate purchasing any hardware or software relating to the cloud, they would just have to pay for its services.

What does the future look like for Cloud Computing?

So, bearing in mind all the mentioned positives and negatives around Cloud Computing, how does the future look like?

It certainly looks bright, especially for those living in developed countries. With new technology advancement and business innovation, cloud technologies have become an effective part of today’s business world. Undoubtedly, cloud computing is here to stay as it decreases the burden of establishing and operating software and hardware devices on computer systems. Cloud computing not only helps reduce infrastructure costs, but it also reduces capital expenditures. The flexible nature of cloud computing has played a huge part in increasing its popularity within the industry. Cloud Computing alongside other virtualisation technologies have revolutionised the IT market, enabling small and mid-size businesses to suggest online services without investing much in storage, Web, or e-commerce infrastructure.

In the near future it would be interesting to see the evolutionary path of cloud computing, does this technology adds more value to current services and/or offer improve security measures. Regulation and technology who is responsible the technology companies or government?

About Us

Cavendish Professionals technology recruitment team are always looking for experienced IT professionals for their clients. We have a variety of clients based in both the UK and overseas in mainland Europe, looking for specialists from Cloud Architects, Application Developers, Network Engineers to Backend Developers, Database Developers, Business Analysts and QA Engineer. Get in contact if you are looking for a new project or are looking to hire a specialist in the technology field, at Cavendish Professionals we can help you.