'The cloud' - what is it, where is it and what can it do for your business.
Like the name suggests, the idea of the cloud feels lofty and hard to grasp. Simply put, cloud computing is the practice of using a network hosted on the Internet, or 'the cloud', to store, manage, and process data. This means you won’t have to maintain or own any hosting equipment locally as you pay someone else for this. Often the label of 'Cloud' is interchanged in different contexts but the basic premise is that instead of systems operating on your business premises, they are operating in a managed data centre for you.
With more than three quarters of companies making use of cloud computing, you’re probably no stranger to the idea. But have you considered moving your business IT to the cloud?
The Good
Cost
Cloud computing works on a pay-as-you-go basis. You only pay for what you use, similar to a utility bill. This eliminates the need to spend money on the expensive (and ever-changing) hardware that comes with hosting on a server. Instead of worrying about servers, you’ll be able to focus on your business.
Quick Accessibility
Many cloud computing services come on-demand, so increasing computing resources can happen efficiently. No more complaints from your users that the X drive is down, or that the business-critical services are running slow.
Scalability
This is a big one. With cloud computing, you have the ability to scale 'elastically'. In other words, your website or app receives the right amount of resources (bandwidth, storage, etc.) when it needs them. And when it's time to take on more employees as your business grows - there's no concerns whether your infrastructure can handle the additional users. Also - when your business decides it's time to move into a larger building - no more weeks of planning on how servers and equipment are going to be moved. It all moves with you without lifting a finger!
Optimal Performance
Most cloud computing services providers (definitely Google) run through secure local data centers that are maintained around the clock, to a much higher standard that is generally possible when IT is done in-house.
Easily Shared
The easy accessibility that comes with the cloud computing makes it very simple to share information across the globe. Data replication technologies are used to ensure that a user is always retrieving the closest copy of any data, from anywhere in the world.
This all happens automatically, with no need to configure peer optimisation of any sort.
Reliability
In cloud computing, data backups occur routinely making disaster recovery easy and inexpensive. With the before-mentioned data replication technology, data can be found on multiple devices at redundant sites on a cloud provider’s network.
Often providers guarantee 99.9% uptime - a number often not achievable in conventional business IT.
The not so good
Security & Privacy
Although cloud service providers often implement high security standards and industry certifications, storing data and important files on external service providers can introduce risks. Any discussion involving data must address security and privacy, especially when it comes to managing sensitive data. We must not forget what happened at Code Space and the hacking of their AWS EC2 console, which led to data deletion and the eventual shutdown of the company. Their dependence on remote cloud-based infrastructure meant taking on the risks of outsourcing everything.
Of course, any cloud service provider is expected to manage and safeguard the underlying hardware infrastructure of a deployment. However, your responsibilities lie in the realm of user access management, and it’s up to you to carefully weigh all the risk scenarios.
Though recent breaches of credit card data and user login credentials are still fresh in the minds of the public, steps have been taken to ensure the safety of data. One such example is the General Data Protection Rule (GDPR), which was enacted in the European Union to provide users more control over their data. Nonetheless, you still need to be aware of your responsibilities and follow best practices.
Vulnerability to attack
In cloud computing, every component is online, which exposes potential vulnerabilities. Even the best teams suffer severe attacks and security breaches from time to time. Since cloud computing is built as a public service, it’s easy to run before you learn to walk. After all, no one at a cloud vendor checks your administration skills before granting you an account: all it takes to get started is generally a valid credit card. This is why training on your business system users is vital.
Limited control and flexibility
Since the cloud infrastructure is entirely owned, managed, and monitored by the service provider, control is inherently removed from the customer.
To varying degrees (depending on the particular service), cloud users may find they have less control over the function and execution of services within a cloud-hosted infrastructure. A cloud provider’s end-user license agreement (EULA) and management policies might impose limits on what customers can do with their deployments.
Customers retain control of their applications, data, and services but may not have the same level of control over their back-end infrastructure, at least, often not to the same level of control provided with an on-premise system.
Vendor lock-in
Vendor lock-in is another perceived disadvantage of cloud computing. Easy switching between cloud services is a service that hasn’t yet completely evolved, and organizations may find it difficult to migrate their services from one vendor to another. Differences between vendor platforms may create difficulties in migrating from one cloud platform to another, which could equate to additional costs and configuration complexities. Gaps or compromises made during migration could also expose your data to additional security and privacy vulnerabilities.
Luckily this is becoming less of an issue as more migration tools are provided by providers such as Google's extensive migration suite.
Where is the cloud?
Cloud storage generally relies on hundreds of data servers across multiple locations around the world. This provides redundancy (should an entire data center fall over) and also optimal performance (always able to provide data from a close location). This means that your emails and business files are stored several times-over, across the globe in super secure data centers, waiting to be opened or written to.
Generally the Google data center in Ireland is most commonly used by our Ostratto partners as this is the closest full data center.
In closing
Cloud services are now fully available in today's business environment and the options of providers are vast. Ostratto are a firm believer of cloud technologies - they enable our partners (especially the smaller businesses) to scale freely and at a low cost which is vital during the early life of a business.
If you are interested in speaking to someone about how cloud technology can empower your business, get in touch with us today.
