Cloud Computing
With Cloud Computing, users have been able to access data, share expertise and high-end infrastructure from around the world, and vice-versa. The resources are shared through a public platform like the internet. Several companies like Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, etc have invested heavily as they reach out to users.
Cloud Computing companies have customers of three kinds -
Infrastructure-as-a-service :
Option of renting and utilizing computing power and storage capacity of vendor's quality.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) :
Vendors license particular services to subscribers on-demand and once the contract expires, the services are disabled.
Platform-as-a-Service :
Here a developer is given the opportunity to utilize various web-tools to build and host applications.
The Cloud (other computers in the network) does have its pros and cons in this formative stage. Its advantages include,
- Better performance by PCs in the cloud network, as fewer processing will be loading in each individual PC, the rest on the Cloud.
- No more spending on computer upgrades, instead services of another high-power PC can be made use of.
- Lesser hardware and software required, so costs of maintenance are tremendously lowered.
- Permanence of data, as all information stays in the cloud, even if you experience a hard-disk crash.
- Sync with experts worldwide on multiple projects and avail optimum results through the Cloud.
- Work from any PC and on the move, with the availability of internet access.
Cloud Computing also has some drawbacks like,
- The over-dependence on the providers.
- The reliability of the vendors.
- Protection laws in different countries vary. For eg, according to EU data protection regulation, personal information cannot be transferred outside the European Economic Area.
- Threat of unauthorized access to confidential data.
- Requires internet throughout and near-impossible to work with dial-up connections.
The concept isn't entirely new and is evolving even today. In the recent past, several variations have been introduced through 'Grid' and 'Utility Computing'.
- Grid Computing is a virtual super-computer formed by a cluster of computers in concert, each performing complex tasks.
- Utility Computing is a format in which subscribers are charged based on their usage, similar to the way in electricity is charged.
Source : Resonance IT
