In this blog, we’ll delve into the advantages of the cloud and why it has become an indispensable tool for organizations of all sizes and across sectors. Before we discuss its benefits, let’s first understand the cloud, its infrastructure and different cloud service and deployment models.

What is the cloud?

The cloud or cloud computing is a global network of distributed servers hosting software and infrastructure accessed over the internet. It enables organizations to operate efficiently without needing any extensive internal infrastructure. With the cloud, users and organizations can access the same files and applications from almost any device since the computing and storage take place on servers in a data center instead of locally on the user device or in-house servers.

For instance, users can access their Instagram account and emails with all their files and conversation history from a new device, all virtue of the cloud. As cloud vendors update and maintain the servers themselves, cloud computing is one of the most cost-efficient solutions for organizations, helping them save significantly on IT costs and overheads.

How does cloud computing work?

Cloud computing leverages virtualization technology that enables the creation of digital entities called virtual machines. These virtual machines emulate the behavior of physical computers, existing harmoniously on a shared host machine yet maintaining strict isolation from one another.

The virtual machines also efficiently use the hardware hosting them, giving a single server the ability to run many virtual servers. This transforms data centers into highly efficient hubs capable of serving multiple organizations concurrently at a remarkably economical cost. The efficiency also extends to the reliability of cloud services since cloud service providers back up their services on multiple machines across multiple regions to guarantee uninterrupted service delivery.

Navigating the cloud is a seamless experience for users, accomplished through the sophisticated gateways of browsers or applications, regardless of their device. Many elements work in tandem to ensure seamless cloud navigation experience for users. Here are some of the core components of the cloud that help it operate like well-oiled machinery.

Cloud infrastructure

Four integral elements define the backbone of cloud infrastructure:

• Servers: Servers are the core of cloud infrastructure, acting as the computational engines that process and deliver data, applications and services. The servers ensure an efficient allocation of computing resources to support diverse user needs.
• Storage: Cloud storage acts as a dynamic repository, offering scalable and resilient solutions for data management. From documents to multimedia, this cloud component delivers data integrity and accessibility, providing a robust foundation for information storage.
• Networking: Networking ensures seamless communication between servers, devices and users and helps establish the pathways for secure and swift data transfer.
• Virtualization: Virtualization optimizes the usage of hardware resources through virtual machines. The virtual machines ensure efficient utilization, enhance flexibility, and guarantee isolation and security within the cloud infrastructure.

The cloud services come with different service and deployment models, each tailored for specific organizational needs. Let’s unravel their distinct purposes and explore their roles in enhancing organizational efficiency.

Cloud service models

Cloud computing generally comes in one of three fundamental service models: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)

IaaS provides a foundational layer in which the cloud services provider manages the computing resources, including servers, storage, networking infrastructure and virtualization. It eliminates the need for enterprises to procure, configure or manage infrastructure themselves and pay only for the services they use.

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)

PaaS is a complete development and deployment cloud service model that offers a comprehensive platform, including the hardware and the underlying software stack. Along with the computing resources of IaaS, PaaS also offers middleware, development tools, business intelligence (BI) services, database management systems and more. It allows users to focus on developing and deploying applications without concerning themselves with the intricacies of the infrastructure or software updates.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

SaaS delivers fully developed applications over the internet, eliminating the need for users to install, maintain or manage the software locally. The SaaS model allows easy access to a wide range of applications, from productivity tools to enterprise software, without the burden of handling underlying infrastructure or software maintenance. It promotes accessibility, collaboration and scalability, allowing organizations to quickly get up and running with an app at minimal upfront cost.

Specialized cloud services

Along with the basic cloud service models, some specialized cloud services offer distinctive features. Here are some of them:

• Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) or Serverless Computing: FaaS provides a platform that allows users to execute code in response to specific events without managing the complex infrastructure typically associated with building and launching microservices applications.
• Container-as-a-Service (CaaS): In the CaaS service model, the cloud service provider offers a platform for deploying, managing and scaling containerized applications. It simplifies the orchestration of containers for the users, enhancing efficiency and portability in application development.
• Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS): DBaaS offers fully managed database solutions that allow organizations to focus on data-driven applications without the burden of database maintenance.
• Storage-as-a-Service (StaaS): StaaS delivers a flexible and cost-effective alternative to traditional on-premises storage systems through scalable and managed storage solutions.
• AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) and Machine Learning-as-a-Service (MLaaS): AIaaS and MLaaS empower organizations with access to artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, allowing them to leverage advanced analytics without any extensive in-house expertise.

Cloud deployment models

There are various cloud deployment models that cater to diverse organizational needs. Here are some of the most common deployment models:

Public cloud

The public cloud is a globally accessible and shared infrastructure offered by third-party providers over the public internet. This model is ideal for startups and businesses with fluctuating workloads due to its scalability, cost-effectiveness and on-demand resource allocation.

Private cloud

Private clouds are dedicated environments exclusive to a single organization. They offer heightened control, security and customization, making them suitable for industries with stringent compliance regulations or enterprises handling sensitive data.

Hybrid cloud

The hybrid cloud deployment model is an amalgamation of both public and private cloud components. The model enables organizations to leverage the flexibility of the public cloud for non-sensitive operations while keeping critical data within the secure confines of a private cloud. The hybrid cloud suits businesses with dynamic workloads and diverse infrastructure needs.

Multicloud

Multicloud deployment involves utilizing services from multiple cloud providers to achieve flexibility, cost savings and reduced risk. This model is ideal for enterprises seeking a diversified and resilient cloud infrastructure.

Community cloud

Community clouds are a collaborative model in which infrastructure is shared between several with common objectives, such as security, compliance and jurisdiction. This deployment model fosters collaboration and resource optimization and is appropriate for organizations working on a similar project, research topic or application.

With the emergence of the modern cloud in the early 2000s, it gained widespread popularity among businesses of all sizes. Most businesses quickly joined the cloud bandwagon, recognizing its importance in fast-tracking their digital transformation journey.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the reasons for the proliferation of cloud computing.

Why do we need cloud computing?

Cloud computing allows organizations to transcend physical barriers and access computing resources on a scale, revolutionizing traditional IT infrastructures. This flexibility allows enterprises to seamlessly scale operations up or down, according to market dynamics.

Moreover, with data and applications residing in a centralized, easily accessible location, teams dispersed across departments and geographical boundaries seamlessly collaborate in real-time. As knowledge and insights flow freely, unhampered by physical constraints, it enhances productivity and fosters a culture of innovation.

Let’s explore the diverse applications of cloud computing and how they play a pivotal role in optimizing operations and fostering innovation for organizations.

Uses of cloud computing

Here are some use cases of cloud computing for modern businesses:

• Data storage and processing: Cloud computing provides a scalable and cost-effective data storage system made accessible by a web services API. It allows organizations to efficiently manage and process vast amounts of data without the constraints of on-premises infrastructure.
• Big data analytics: With enormous processing power and scalability, the cloud has revolutionized big data analytics. Organizations leverage cloud platforms to analyze complex data sets and make data-driven, informed decisions.
• Data backup and archiving: The cloud facilitates seamless data backup and archiving, ensuring integrity and real-time data availability. This eliminates the risk of data loss and provides a reliable mechanism for long-term data retention.
• Business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR): Cloud computing serves as a robust foundation for business continuity and disaster recovery strategies for organizations. It continually captures any changes to the data and transfers it to the disaster recovery server, ensuring rapid recovery in the event of disruptions or disasters.
• Remote work and collaboration: Cloud computing allows remote workers to access their work files and applications from anywhere, fostering flexibility and collaboration among geographically dispersed teams.
• Testing and development: Cloud platforms offer an agile environment for testing and development of applications. It enables developers to access resources on-demand, experiment with different configurations and deploy applications swiftly.

As the cloud operates through many interconnected networks, it raises security concerns among organizations, with cyberthreats at an all-time high. However, the cloud’s adaptive security protocols ensure that businesses can confidently navigate the digital terrain without compromising the integrity of their data. Let’s understand how the cloud safeguards an organization’s data.

Cloud security

Cloud service providers set an unparalleled standard for safeguarding sensitive data and ensuring the integrity of digital landscapes. They employ a multilayered approach, integrating robust encryption protocols, multifactor authentication and stringent access controls to fortify the confidentiality and integrity of stored data.

Moreover, cloud service providers also adhere to compliance regulations, perform security audits and monitor mechanisms regularly to identify and address any vulnerabilities. With these robust security controls, organizations can confidently entrust the cloud with their critical application, a boon in today’s ever-evolving threat landscape.

With many benefits, adopting cloud computing has become imperative for organizations seeking to thrive in the competitive business landscape. Let’s look at some of the ways cloud computing has impacted businesses.

Cloud computing in business

The inherent value of cloud computing lies in its capacity to transcend traditional constraints, adapt swiftly to market dynamics and optimize operational costs. It propels organizations’ digital transformation journey by unlocking new avenues for innovation, facilitating seamless scalability and helping them navigate future uncertainties with resilience and efficiency.

What are examples of cloud computing in business?

Here are some industry-wise instances of the efficiency of cloud computing:

• Healthcare: Cloud computing has revolutionized healthcare by enabling healthcare providers to leverage cloud platforms for data analytics, facilitating personalized treatments and improving patient care. Telemedicine services have especially witnessed exponential growth by adopting cloud computing, which has ensured broader accessibility of healthcare resources.
• Finance: Cloud computing has helped the financial sector streamline operations and enhance data security. Many financial institutions utilize the cloud for real-time data analytics, fraud detection and risk management. The innovative features of the cloud allow the industry to offer new services and products to customers at a rapid pace.
• E-commerce: E-commerce platforms use cloud-based analytics to understand customer behavior, optimize inventory management and deliver personalized recommendations, enhancing customer satisfaction and retention. It also helps them handle fluctuating workloads, ensuring seamless shopping experiences during peak times.
• Education: Cloud computing has transformed education by facilitating online learning platforms, collaboration tools and resource sharing. Several educational institutions utilize cloud-based services to efficiently manage student data, virtual classrooms and collaborative research projects.

Take advantage of cloud computing with Kaseya

While the benefits of the cloud are aplenty, its management can be arduous if you still rely on traditional endpoint management solutions. In order to leverage the cloud services to the fullest, your IT team needs an advanced endpoint management system that ensures seamless management of diverse cloud-based environments in a single UI.

With Kaseya VSA, you can automate the discovery of all endpoints and network devices, including virtual hosts and virtual machines. VSA is a next-generation, unified RMM solution that maximizes IT operational efficiency with complete IT asset discovery, monitoring and management. It gives you the visibility and functionality you need to manage all of IT in a single UI.

To learn more about Kaseya VSA, Request your demo today!

The post What Is Cloud Computing? Services, Types, Advantages and Use Cases appeared first on Kaseya.

Meanwhile core IT apps such as ERP and productivity tools like Office are now commonly run in the cloud. Let’s face it, the momentum is moving from on-premises to cloud.

Do these successes mean IT groups should move everything to the cloud ASAP, or take a cloud-first approach to all new applications and services? Not necessarily.

One set of companies always seems to go “all in” the cloud. These are tech startups who want to focus their attention and capital on creating new inventions and getting them to market. Some ventures capitalists will only invest in startups that use the cloud for their IT infrastructure. In fact, if you were creating an all new company, and had serious growth ambitions, you’d be crazy not to go with the cloud.

Most environments are not so pure. After years of being in business, most SMBs have an array of legacy gear that works, that is understood by IT, and that is paid for. Sometimes even decades-old servers handle specific functions well, and would be difficult to replace. So even as many new apps, such as ERP, email and backup move to the cloud, others, such as DBMS and accounting do just fine on in-house servers.

Don’t Forget Gordon Moore

In 1965, Intel co-founder established Moore’s Law. It postulates that the density, and thus the power of a processer doubles every 18 months. There is a debate as to whether Moore’s [prediction remains a hard and fast rule, but with the regular increase in the number of cores a processor contains these days, we’d say the power increases Moore anticipated are still basically in play.

Since servers generally last five years (though they may be replaced a bit more frequently), if you want to replace your five year-old server, either it will be 7.5 times faster for the same price or 7.5 times cheaper for the same speed. As mentioned, much of these efficiency boosts today come from the rise of multicore processing.

With these economics in mind, SMBs would do well to compare maximizing the benefits of their existing on-premises applications and infrastructure against the benefits of migrating these to the cloud. Keep in mind that once you move to the cloud, it might not be so easy to move back.

Be Skeptical of Cloud Economics

Cloud pricing and contracts can be highly complex, which is why businesses sometimes turn to experts such as R “Ray” Wang, a software licensing guru and principal analyst at Constellation Research.

Wang helps customers negotiate a minefield of issues. On the surface contracting with a cloud service may seem cost effective, but there are conditions and hidden costs that can turn what sounds like the deal of a lifetime into a money pit.

The main issue is the pay-as-you-go model. IT knows that data use and processing power always experiences increased use. So when you start using more capacity, your costs rise – in often unforeseen ways.

These issues are why Constellation and Wang created “The Enterprise Cloud Buyers Bill of Rights” which you can read here.

Another issue raised by Wang is that cloud providers control cloud pricing. Unlike a piece of on-premises software which you already own, you may find the cost of cloud service rising – apart from fees for increased use. Often there is little recourse than to absorb the cost as it can be difficult to migrate to another service.

Vendor lock-in is another issue. “Buyers do not own the rights to the code in most public Cloud models. Buyers pay for the right to access functionality and use the intellectual property, but at the full mercy of the Cloud vendor. Should the vendor decide to take a different product direction or find itself bankrupt, users remain at the vendor’s mercy,” Constellation says. “While users have access to and ownership of their data, the hurdle in moving from one Cloud vendor to another increases with usage over time. Without rights over the app’s functionality, users face lock-in if they cannot easily export their business processes that are instantiated in the vendor’s functionality,” the Cloud Bill or Rights argues.

Cloud vs. the WAN

Internal IT networks can be awfully snappy. We have high-speed network adapters, high-speed wireless routers, and high-speed Ethernet LAN backbones. These connections are almost always faster than the WAN connections that attach the LAN to the Internet.

While the LAN is only as fast as its slowest hop component (which all tend to be high speed), the cloud is only as fast as the slowest WAN connection and the slowest network and hops in between it and the cloud provider.

If you move major apps to the cloud, such as embracing Microsoft Office 365, you may be fielding complaints from end users about lag time. To reduce this latency you may have to upgrade the WAN connections, which is an additional expense. Adding to the burden, you may need to buy Quality of Sevice (QoS) tools, bandwidth shapers and other WAN speed boosting solutions.

A Strong Case for the Cloud

I’ve explained some major reasons why not everything needs to move to the cloud ASAP, as well as  pitfalls that, if avoided, create a better cloud experience.

But let’s face it – the cloud is here to stay. Major market researchers show the cloud momentum is virtually unstoppable. This means these cloud services, despite some lingering reservations, are providing true value.

While you may not need to move all your legacy apps to the cloud now, new apps could easily be deployed as cloud services with far less burden on IT.

The momentum is obvious. IDC argues that IT services over the public cloud are experiencing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.5 percent, and the cloud is expanding some five times faster than the overall IT industry.

One hot area is storage. The beauty here is IT doesn’t have to maintain as much backup infrastructure. At the same time, restores are more reliable because the data in a provider’s hands that focuses on storage, versus IT where storage maintenance and testing is often an afterthought.

Research and Markets explains why cloud storage and backup, are so hot. “Emergence of innovative storage technologies such as inline data deduplication, inline compression, WAN optimization, cloud-based security solutions and storage gateways are pushing the growth of the Cloud Storage Market. Small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are rapidly adopting cloud-based storage services to reduce cost and IT complexity compared to large enterprises, thereby pushing the market growth,” the research house said. “The small- and medium-business segments are the major adopter of cloud storage services and this trend is expected to continue for next few years.”

And with the cloud, your backups can achieve nearly infinite scalability.

Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) is also hot, according to MarketsandMarkets which says DRaaS is growing at a CAGR of 55.2 percent and will be a $5.7 billion market by 2018.

The SaaS Play

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is one of the hottest areas of cloud computing. Just look at the success of Salesforce.com and Office 365.

Potential benefits are just too big to ignore. Volume licenses for on-premises software can be insanely complicated whereas, in comparison, licensing for SaaS apps is far simpler. Upgrades are easier too since, in  the cloud, they are automatic – no per machine manual software updates. Just as important, end users can get their application-related files from most any device and location.

Conclusion: Is a Private Cloud the Best of Both Worlds?

A private cloud may be a great option – and easier to do than you might think.

If you are already virtualized, it is not a big leap to turning your data resources into a private cloud, where the systems act as a unified, scalable utility. Here you gain all the benefits of a public cloud with fewer of the downsides.

Make On-Premises Management Simpler, Faster

As argued, on-premises computing can be fast, affordable and highly efficient. Managing it all, though, can be a bear. IT automation, such as that offered by Kaseya VSA, can dramatically reduce the administrative burden while insuring all end points remain up and secure.

Kaseya VSA is an IT system and endpoint management solution for IT, and supports remote management of your devices which is done through a single console.

With Kaseya VSA, IT pros can:

• Discover, audit, inventory and monitor clients, servers and the network
• Perform patch management
• Monitor end points for performance or problems
• Resolve issues – including non-working hard drives
• Maintain and run antivirus/anti-malware tools.

The great news is all that all these benefits can be automated, based on predefined policies that you set and manage based on your business’ needs.

Learn more about Kaseya VSA.

Monitor Your Cloud with Traverse

The cloud presents special network management challenges for IT. That’s because internal IT doesn’t have full control of the provider’s cloud infrastructure or a full view of all the network pieces that support these cloud applications and services.

And while IT struggles to monitor and manage the cloud, it still needs to take care of internal networks and even hybrid cloud configurations. Kaseya Traverse is a full-featured network monitoring solution designed to holistically monitor performance across on-premises, cloud and hybrid infrastructure.

With Traverse, IT staff can view even the most complex infrastructure based on service-level views. This service-oriented view enables fast root cause analysis, so network and service problems are quickly resolved and don’t hold operations up.

Learn more about Kaseya Traverse here.

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