Cloud computing technology has been around for years, but recently it’s been growing by leaps and bounds. During 2012 alone, it’s estimated that 27% of U.S. government facilities implemented cloud services in an effort to both modernize and simplify their day-to-day operations. That’s because cloud computing allows for easy data storage and even easier data retrieval, and it does all this by streamlining a number of different processes. Given all this, it should be no surprise to learn that infrastructure in private cloud computing is projected to reach $22.2 billion by 2017.
Companies are turning to cloud storage primarily because it’s easier, but also because it provides them a safety net should their internal servers endure a catastrophic event. Cloud computing provides businesses and individuals the security of knowing their data is safe from physical calamities like fires, floods, break-ins and general natural disasters. Interested? Here’s everything you’ll need to know to get set up with cloud computing.
How Cloud Technology Works
In the older days of typical computing, users had to save and backup their data to hard drives located inside the actual machines themselves. However, innovations in the industry have allowed third-party storage providers to enter the market and effectively revolutionize the way data is stored as well as shared. These new databases are remote from your computer’s hardware but can be accessed by the Internet — and that’s all thanks to the power of modern cloud servers and cloud infrastructure services.
Different Types of Cloud Servers
You may have heard the term “cloud” being used as a metaphor for the entire Internet, and that’s not incorrect. But today, tech providers have expanded their gaze a bit, monetizing the cloud world by offering different elements of cloud capacities as services for sale. These include the three most popular services: software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS).
The breakdown looks a little like this:
- Software as a service: Also called “on-demand software,” SaaS hosts entire software capabilities via a cloud server, which can then be accessed by users via a thin client through a browser.
- Platform as a service: A bit more advanced than SaaS, PaaS can be used for application design, web service integration, database integration and dozens of other functions.
- Infrastructure as a service: In short, these are cloud infrastructure services that provide either virtual computers or physical machines and other resources.
With all this in mind, it should be no surprise that thousands of companies are relying on cloud computing, cloud infrastructure services and other cloud capabilities to keep their data secure. To learn more about what cloud servers can do for you, get in contact with a tech agency that specializes in them. Thanks to today’s modern tech innovations, who says having your head in the cloud is a bad thing?
