Cloud computing 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. Simply put, cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet
Cloud computing allows individuals and businesses to use applications without installing them and access their personal files at any computer with internet access. It uses the internet to provide shared processing resources, software, and data to computers and other devices on demand.
The Benefits of Cloud computing
Cloud computing gives businesses to scale up and be more flexible. You can quickly scale resources and storage up to meet business demands without having to invest in physical infrastructure. Likewise, they can quickly scale down if resources aren’t being used.
It is cost effective. Whatever cloud service model you choose, you only pay for the resources you actually use. This helps you avoid investing in structures and personnel than is actually needed
Better collaboration
Cloud storage enables you to make data available anywhere you are, anytime you need it. Instead of being tied to a location or specific device, people can access data from anywhere in the world from any device—as long as they have an internet connection.
Security: In order to earn the trust of its clients, reputable cloud providers also hire top security experts and employ the most advanced solutions, providing more robust protection.
Data loss prevention Cloud providers offer backup and disaster recovery features. Storing data in the cloud rather than locally can help prevent data loss in the event of an emergency, such as hardware malfunction, malicious threats, or even simple user error.
The cloud deployment Models
Cloud deployment models refer to the different ways in which cloud computing resources can be hosted and made available to users. There are four main cloud deployment models:
The public cloud: this is where cloud resources are delivered over the internet to the general public. Examples include AWS, google cloud, azure.
The private cloud: this is where resources are used exclusively by a single organization
It can be hosted on the premises of the organization or by a third-party provider.
The hybrid cloud: This is the combination of two clouds i.e. public and private clouds.it allows data and applications to be shared between them providing flexibility to run workloads in the most appropriate environment
There's also the community cloud; this is where the cloud is shared by a number of organizations with common concern. It can be managed internally or by a third party.
The cloud service models:
This refers to the different levels in which cloud services are delivered.
The three main cloud service models are often referred to as the "cloud computing stack" because they build on top of one another. They are; Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS).
i. IaaS: Infrastructure as a Service is a cloud computing model that provides on-demand access to computing resources such as servers, storage, networking, and virtualization. Eg: Cloud storage, amazon EC2, Google Compute Engine
Use cases: Test and development environments, website hosting, storage and backup
ii. PaaS: Platform as a service; this is a service model that provides all the software features and tools needed for application development. It includes development tools, database management, business analytics Eg: App engine Microsoft Azure App Services, Heroku
Use cases: Application development, business analytics, database management
iii. SaaS: Software as a Service; for this service model, the service provider delivers the entire application stack—the complete application and all the infrastructure needed to deliver it. All the customer has to do is connect to the app through the internet.
Examples: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Salesforce
Use cases: Email and collaboration, customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP)
In conclusion, cloud computing is a technology that offers numerous benefits for businesses and individuals alike. It has changed the way we think about IT infrastructure, enabling greater flexibility, scalability, and cost savings. Whether you're a small startup or a large enterprise, cloud computing can empower you to achieve your digital goals more efficiently and effectively.
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