UNDERSTANDING CLOUD TECHNOLOGY?

Helping Clients Understand Cloud Computing and Cloud Technology
By Matt Mainhart

What is the cloud? Does my data really sit on fluffy white clouds and float above the world? What happens when an airplane drives through my spreadsheet, or a bird gets stuck in my document?

The scope of cloud technology and cloud computing is growing, as is its adoption. Your prospects and clients could be using it right now and not even know it. When working with the right IT services provider, cloud technology helps small-to-medium-sized businesses scale up the IT needs of their companies much faster than setting up new hardware.

But what does this term “cloud” mean to your clients?

We wrote a whole eBook about how to explain the cloud to your clients, but here are four quick tips to help them better understand the role the cloud plays in their workday. Download our white label version at the end to use in your next email send!

What Is the Cloud?
The cloud is virtual and therefore does not require any hardware of your own to deliver a service. Cloud technology can deliver that service to you, without having to install anything or have it on a server at your business. This is something that you can access remotely, or via the Internet through your web browser. Offsite, secure third-party data centers manage all of your cloud data so that you can access it at your convenience.

You May Already be Using the Cloud
Are you using Gmail? Amazon Music? A Kindle? Dropbox? These are all cloud services that store the data you access. All you have to do is log in to their servers to get what you need. If you use an Apple iPhone or iPad, then you're familiar with the iCloud service, the cloud technology that allows you to sync and upload your photos and contacts.

Why Use the Cloud?
The cloud is convenient for accessing and backing up data no matter where you go. With it, you can access servers anywhere, rather than just locally from your office. This allows you to perform your job duties at home and on the go! There is no need to carry around (and risk losing) USB drives with sensitive information on them. If you lose that USB drive, then your files are gone forever. If you back them up to the cloud or store them there, however, you can easily retrieve that data.

Why Is the Term "Cloud" Used?
There is both a literal and figurative meaning here. Have you ever laid down in the grass, and looked up at the clouds in the sky? Oh, look, an elephant! A boat! Oh nice, a dinosaur! But the person next to you may not see the same shapes. They may see a sandwich, a skyscraper or an airplane in the clouds instead. The possibilities are almost endless, and not everyone has the same vision. Cloud technology is similar, offering a plethora of possibilities to help support and scale your business. Also, clouds are generally always above us. Just head on up, and grab whatever you need on-demand. The sky is always accessible.

So, you can store and access files in the Cloud. You can use cloud-hosted applications, like Gmail and GoogleDocs. Finally, the cloud gives you access to your data anywhere with a network connection. This all sounds great, right?

It is, but as with anything on the Internet, these services need to be used responsibly.

In our next installment, we will look into how you can keep yourself and your data safe while utilizing cloud services. Stay tuned!

Published February 19, 2016
Copyright © 2016 Ulitzer, Inc. — All Rights Reserved.
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CLOUD COMPUTING?

noun

the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer.

Cloud Computing is a technology that uses the internet and central remote servers to maintain data and applications. Cloud computing allows consumers and businesses to use applications without installation and access their personal files at any computer with internet access. This technology allows for much more efficient computing by centralizing data storage, processing and bandwidth.

A simple example of cloud computing is Yahoo email, Gmail, or Hotmail etc. All you need is just an internet connection and you can start sending emails. The server and email management software is all on the cloud ( internet) and is totally managed by the cloud service provider Yahoo , Google etc. The consumer gets to use the software alone and enjoy the benefits. The analogy is , 'If you need milk , would you buy a cow ?' All the users or consumers need is to get the benefits of using the software or hardware of the computer like sending emails etc. Just to get this benefit (milk) why should a consumer buy a (cow) software /hardware ?

Cloud computing is broken down into three segments: "application" "storage" and "connectivity." Each segment serves a different purpose and offers different products for businesses and individuals around the world. In June 2011, a study conducted by V1 found that 91% of senior IT professionals actually don't know what cloud computing is and two-thirds of senior finance professionals are clear by the concept,^[1] highlighting the young nature of the technology. In Sept 2011, an Aberdeen Group study found that disciplined companies achieved on average an 68% increase in their IT expense because cloud computing and only a 10% reduction in data center power costs.^[2]

Cloud Computing Segments

Transparency Market Research ^[3]: Cloud computing is a technology which uses internet and one remote server to maintain data and various applications. Cloud computing (http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cloud-computing-services-market.html) provides significant cost effective IT resources as cost on demand IT based on the actual usage of the customer. Due to rapid growth, many companies are unable to handle their IT requirement even after having an in-house datacenter. Cloud services helps to improve IT capabilities without investing large amounts in new datacenters. This technology helps companies with much more efficient computing by centralizing storage, memory, processing and bandwidth.

Applications

Storage

Connectivity

Cloud Computing Deployment Models and Concepts

Community Cloud

Community cloud shares infrastructure between several organizations from a specific community with common concerns , whether managed internally or by a third-party and hosted internally or externally. The costs are spread over fewer users than a public cloud (but more than that of a private) to realize its cost saving potential.

Public Cloud

Definition

A public cloud is established where several organizations have similar requirements and seek to share infrastructure so as to appliance. In addition, it can be economically attractive as the resources (storage, workstations) utilized and shared in the community are already exploited.

This is the cloud computing model where service providers make their computing resources available online for the public. It allows the users to access various important resources on cloud, such as:Software, Applications or Stored data. On of the prime benefits of using public cloud is that the users are emancipated from performing certain important tasks on their computing machines that they cannot get away with otherwise, these include:Installation of resources, their configuration; and Storage.

Advantages of using Public Cloud^[4]

For obvious reasons, public cloud is bound to offer a multitude of benefits for its users, which can be sensed by its ubiquitous demand. Some of the most important ones are mentioned here:

Efficient storage and computing services
Inexpensive, since all the virtual resources whether application, hardware or data are covered by the the service provider.
Allow for easy connectivity to servers and information sharing.
Assures appropriate use of resources as the users are required to pay only for the services they require.
Highly reliable and redundant.
Widespread availability irrespective of geographical precincts.
Sets the business people free from the hassles of buying, managing and maintaining all the virtual resources at their own end, the cloud server does it all.
Public cloud, in today's advanced workplace, empowers employees and enable them to become productive even when outside the office. The SaaS model ensures that corporations save on IT expenditures while delivering the flexibility of productivity software on the cloud.

Private cloud

iCylanAPP ^[5]

iCylanAPP enables you to remote access the sensitive applications of enterprises by smartphones or tablet device anywhere and anytime. The cloud-based resources are delivered to one platform, which providing high performance, security, and user experience. You can access the desktop, run applications, change settings, and access data exactly as you are sitting in front of the local PC, using its keyboard and mouse.

iCylanAPP has three versions, such as Standard Edition, Advanced Edition, Enterprise Edition, which providing proven security of different class. It can connect to any Windows applications running a iCylanAPP Client on smartphones or tablets devices.Nowadays, it supports the current systems,such as google Android, Mac iOS,windows Phone 7 or BlackBerry.

What does a Shift Towards Cloud Computing Mean?

A paradigm shift to cloud computing will affect many different sub-categories in computer industry such as software companies, internet service providers (ISPs) and hardware manufacturers. While it is relatively easy to see how the main software and internet companies will be affected by such a shift in Ginger's chunky nuggets, it is more difficult to predict how companies in the internet and hardware sectors will be affected. Most of the major companies have launched their product. IBM launched their new SmartCloud data center in Japan in 2011.

Who Loses Out?

Traditional software producers that could have some catching up to do if cloud computing ultimately wins out include:

Thoughts and Opinions

Security

The biggest question most have with Cloud Computing is will it be Safe?

Answer: No

Reason why is everything that Cloud Computing is based on is mechanical, although it seems virtual. The Safety of the data (information), is only as Safe as the will and determination of the individual that wants to have at it.

Disaster Recovery

Cloud Computing ideal as a Disaster Recovery solution?^[6]

Answer: Yes

As with any Disaster Recovery solution for a business (small to enterprise) you should have both an onsite and offsite backup.

(Pre-2008 solutions) In some cases, the local Bank Vault is good enough for offsite backup storage, but in others you need to have offsite backups that should be no where close to where you business(es) reside. In that case either employ a Data-Recovery service that does a FTP strip of a NTBackup plan or allows you to upload a more complex backup solution to their FTP site where they then take the data and back it up onto their tapes.

(Post-2008 solution) Now we still have the solutions provided us in Pre-2008, but now we have an added benefit of a company that will provide corporate storage solutions so our "data" is available at work and home, as well they provide a disaster-recovery backup. Most of the companies that are providing Cloud Computing solutions, will in most cases have at least 3 data-center sites that are farmed out so the data is not 100% at one site location but instead mirrored to 2 other sites for redundancy and then those sites are individually backed up.