Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing by its correct technical definition is "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". For a better understanding of cloud computing see the picture above, all of the devices are connected to the cloud (the cloud is a symbol for the internet). All of these devices can use the internet to store data and transfer data to the other devices.
The Top 10 cloud services are as follows.. Facebook,Dropbox, Google mail, Apple iCloud, LinkedIn ,Disqus, Salesforce, Amazon Web Services, Hotmail, Box.net. The services these cloud services offer vary from file-sharing, email, forums and social media. |
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What is Cloud Computing
As seen in the examples of the top 10 cloud services, cloud services can be used for many different types of services. Services such as a social media like facebook runs of a cloud to store media, photos and any other data. Then anybody who connects to this cloud and has passed all of the security measures, a user from one device can access someone else's data. For a more detailed explanation of social media please go to our social media page. Some cloud services have a pure objective to be used instead of a home or work server. These services like Google drive, Drop box and iCloud are just used purely made to store data and share information between users who are linked to the drive. This allows users to access their data from any in the world. Meaning that the users will only have to be connected to the internet to upload or download any of their data. Cloud services that are based to send and receive emails allow users to send and receive data. Emails can be used as a storage facility but most emails have a data limit per email so this limits users from sending large files.
The Advantages of Cloud Commputing
1.Flexibility
Cloud computing allows users to access their data from anywhere in the world when they have internet connection. This gives the user flexibility to do their work from anywhere and not have too worry about being connected to their works LAN.
2. Disaster Recovery
When companies start relying on cloud based services they no longer need to complete complex disaster recovery plans. Cloud computing companies take care of almost all issues faster than usual. A study conducted by Aberdeen Group discovered that the businesses which used the cloud were able to resolve issues in an average of 2.1 hours, nearly four times faster than businesses that didn’t use the cloud.
3.Automatic Software updates
Cloud based services are updating themselves all of the time. Instead of the company updating their own server, the cloud server supplier does all of the server maintenance. If their are any security issues or bugs with the cloud, the supplier of the cloud service will have it fixed not the company using the service. This saves the company time and money.
4. No Capital Expenditure
Most cloud services are a pay as you go service. This ensures that businesses do not have to fork out a large amount of capital.
5.Increased Collaboration
Cloud services allow all employees to sync and work on any documents and shared apps simultaneously. This allows businesses to promote working from home
6. Document Control
A cloud based service allows employees to access simultaneously. Meaning that employees don't have to rely on each other to send and re send documents back and forth. Cloud computing keeps all documents one central location and everyone can work off that central copy. Documents being stored in one central location, will create a smaller chance of that item being lost.
8. Environmentally Friendly
Businesses that use cloud computing only use the server space they need, which decreases their carbon footprint. Using the cloud results in a minimum of a 30% less energy consumption.
9. Software cost efficiency
Using cloud computing allows businesses to save software costs. Instead of purchasing thousands of dollars of server equipment businesses can subscribe to a cloud computing service to run/maintain a server for them.
10. Packages can be upgraded.
Instead of having to purchase new hard ware and software to expand a server. Businesses can now increase their server by choosing a different package. This can be done almost instantly saving businesses heaps of time.
Cloud computing allows users to access their data from anywhere in the world when they have internet connection. This gives the user flexibility to do their work from anywhere and not have too worry about being connected to their works LAN.
2. Disaster Recovery
When companies start relying on cloud based services they no longer need to complete complex disaster recovery plans. Cloud computing companies take care of almost all issues faster than usual. A study conducted by Aberdeen Group discovered that the businesses which used the cloud were able to resolve issues in an average of 2.1 hours, nearly four times faster than businesses that didn’t use the cloud.
3.Automatic Software updates
Cloud based services are updating themselves all of the time. Instead of the company updating their own server, the cloud server supplier does all of the server maintenance. If their are any security issues or bugs with the cloud, the supplier of the cloud service will have it fixed not the company using the service. This saves the company time and money.
4. No Capital Expenditure
Most cloud services are a pay as you go service. This ensures that businesses do not have to fork out a large amount of capital.
5.Increased Collaboration
Cloud services allow all employees to sync and work on any documents and shared apps simultaneously. This allows businesses to promote working from home
6. Document Control
A cloud based service allows employees to access simultaneously. Meaning that employees don't have to rely on each other to send and re send documents back and forth. Cloud computing keeps all documents one central location and everyone can work off that central copy. Documents being stored in one central location, will create a smaller chance of that item being lost.
8. Environmentally Friendly
Businesses that use cloud computing only use the server space they need, which decreases their carbon footprint. Using the cloud results in a minimum of a 30% less energy consumption.
9. Software cost efficiency
Using cloud computing allows businesses to save software costs. Instead of purchasing thousands of dollars of server equipment businesses can subscribe to a cloud computing service to run/maintain a server for them.
10. Packages can be upgraded.
Instead of having to purchase new hard ware and software to expand a server. Businesses can now increase their server by choosing a different package. This can be done almost instantly saving businesses heaps of time.
The Disadvantages of Cloud Commputing
1.Privacy
Cloud companies collect and store data about the company or individual and most times the users do not know. If a cloud company was hacked, potentially private information could be leaked all over the internet. This could lead to individuals or companies suing the cloud service.
2. Availability
Cloud companies can suffer a downtime due to any maintenance issues, leaving users without any access to their cloud based server. This will leave users very unhappy and if users were a company they could even suffer a critical loss that could put them out of business.
3.Data Loss
Cloud companies could one day disappear, if they do there is no guarantee that data left on the cloud is recoverable. If they do close businesses or users may loose their data forever so it is always good to back up the cloud based server on a back up drive.
4.Training to use cloud services.
Training to use cloud services can be very expensive and take up lots of time. This is because staff that need to learn how to use the cloud service will have to start from scratch and it may be very hard to learn with out any proper training.
5.Cost
At the beginning of purchasing a cloud service businesses may think it is cheaper to subscribe to the cloud service than creating a server. The cloud based service may not have all of the features you need so a smaller server may be still required costing more. The subscription costs could change while you were using the service so users must watch the original price plus any additional prices.
6.Legal Issues
Knowing where the cloud service is based can be vital for any legal issues that could occur in the future. If the cloud based service did something wrong that would be against the law in Australia, the user may try to sue the cloud company. Due the cloud companies location the laws may be different in their country, so suing the company may not achieve what the users wants because they have not broken any laws in their country.
7.Lack of Support
Cloud companies may not provide the 24 hour support they promise. They may make businesses send an email that will be responded to in 48 hours. All businesses cannot wait 48 hours for a response because their issues may be critical. If cloud services don't take corrective action to help the business, the business may loose lots of time and possibly money (it matters how the business is set up)
Cloud companies collect and store data about the company or individual and most times the users do not know. If a cloud company was hacked, potentially private information could be leaked all over the internet. This could lead to individuals or companies suing the cloud service.
2. Availability
Cloud companies can suffer a downtime due to any maintenance issues, leaving users without any access to their cloud based server. This will leave users very unhappy and if users were a company they could even suffer a critical loss that could put them out of business.
3.Data Loss
Cloud companies could one day disappear, if they do there is no guarantee that data left on the cloud is recoverable. If they do close businesses or users may loose their data forever so it is always good to back up the cloud based server on a back up drive.
4.Training to use cloud services.
Training to use cloud services can be very expensive and take up lots of time. This is because staff that need to learn how to use the cloud service will have to start from scratch and it may be very hard to learn with out any proper training.
5.Cost
At the beginning of purchasing a cloud service businesses may think it is cheaper to subscribe to the cloud service than creating a server. The cloud based service may not have all of the features you need so a smaller server may be still required costing more. The subscription costs could change while you were using the service so users must watch the original price plus any additional prices.
6.Legal Issues
Knowing where the cloud service is based can be vital for any legal issues that could occur in the future. If the cloud based service did something wrong that would be against the law in Australia, the user may try to sue the cloud company. Due the cloud companies location the laws may be different in their country, so suing the company may not achieve what the users wants because they have not broken any laws in their country.
7.Lack of Support
Cloud companies may not provide the 24 hour support they promise. They may make businesses send an email that will be responded to in 48 hours. All businesses cannot wait 48 hours for a response because their issues may be critical. If cloud services don't take corrective action to help the business, the business may loose lots of time and possibly money (it matters how the business is set up)
Cloud Computing from the Student's Perspective
In May 2015, a class of 21 year 11 IT students had the chance to voice their opinion of cloud services. We conducted a survey that contained 5 questions.
- Do you use a cloud based service? Facebook, Google drive ect.
- Would you use a cloud service to store your most important data?
- Would you pay a monthly fee to store your data on a cloud instead of using a hard drive?
- Do you think your data would be secure on a cloud?
- Do you think all data will be stored online instead of a hard drive in 20 years?
Out of the 21 students 20 of them use a cloud base service. This means that 95% of the year 11 IT class use a cloud base service
Out of the 21 students 8 would use a cloud service to store their most important data. This means that 38% of students would use a cloud service to store their most important data?
Out of the 21 students 0 would you pay a monthly fee to store their data on a cloud instead of using a hard drive. This means that 0% of students would you pay a monthly fee to store their data on a cloud instead of using a hard drive.
Out of the 21 Students 14 think their data would be secure on a cloud. This means that 67% of students believe that cloud services are secure.
Out of the 21 Students 10 of them believe that all data will be stored online instead of a hard drive in 20 years. This means that 48% of students believe cloud service will be used to store data instead of hard drives.
Recommendation of a cloud based service
Recommending a particular cloud based service is a very hard thing to do especially when we do not know the requirements of the users looking into using a cloud based service. What we can do is give you 2 cloud based services that offer the best features.
The first cloud based service is Google drive. Google drive has many benefits that will help users accomplish their objectives. These benefits are:
One of the only disadvantages of Google drive is the set out of the Google drive programs, these programs are not as customizable as the Microsoft office programs.
The other cloud based service company is Facebook. Facebook is a company that will store data and has many benefits that will help users accomplish their objective. These benefits are:
Facebook and Google drive are two different types of cloud based services. Google drive is a more storage based and Facebook is more of a marketing cloud based service. Both of these services have their strengths and weaknesses, so to recommend just one cannot be done. Find out what features you need, and use that to choose your cloud service.
The first cloud based service is Google drive. Google drive has many benefits that will help users accomplish their objectives. These benefits are:
- Anything can be accessed if you have an Internet connection.
- The programs are easy to use, and are a great option if you need “Office like” programs .
- Programs on Google Drive are great for collaboration. Documents can be shared edited and uploaded by different users.
- Multiple users can edit documents simultaneously.
- You can easily see who is editing a document, and even have live chats with others who are working on the documents the same time as you.
- No start up fees
- Google drive comes with 15GB of storage and if that isn't enough 100GB can be purchased for $1.99 per month.
One of the only disadvantages of Google drive is the set out of the Google drive programs, these programs are not as customizable as the Microsoft office programs.
The other cloud based service company is Facebook. Facebook is a company that will store data and has many benefits that will help users accomplish their objective. These benefits are:
- The Businesses can gain exposure from using Facebook.
- Data can be easily shared to millions of people and to a select few people.
- It is impossible to run out of storage.
- Communication is made very easy
- No start up fees
Facebook and Google drive are two different types of cloud based services. Google drive is a more storage based and Facebook is more of a marketing cloud based service. Both of these services have their strengths and weaknesses, so to recommend just one cannot be done. Find out what features you need, and use that to choose your cloud service.
Updated: Monday 1st June 2015