Introduction to Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is a term you get to hear everywhere, and if you are in a business, you might be wondering if you need to jump on this bandwagon. Every day, thousands of enterprises are making the decision of shifting to cloud services, given the wide range of cloud computing benefits offered. It streamlines the IT processes of any firm and makes daily computing easy and manageable.
Cloud Computing Benefits
- Easy in Implementing- Enterprises need not bother about the backend technicalities when transferring the data to the cloud. The entire cloud infrastructure can be easily accessed by the enterprises, and the apps & business processes can be readily managed.
- Accessibility and Collaboration- The biggest benefit of cloud computing is the ease with which the data can be accessed from anywhere, anytime. This ensures that productivity and efficiency are increased because the apps can be accessed anytime. Also, cloud computing helps enterprises to collaborate and share their resources among partners and users in multiple locations.
- Requires No Hardware- All the data is stored and processed in the cloud. This negates the need for physical storage centers in the office premises. A backup is always advisable and this may need a physical server, but that is it. Even cloud technologies provide backup options that can be retrieved in the event of a disaster
- Cost per Head- With enterprises switching to cloud technology, the overhead costs reduce drastically. There is no necessity for physical servers and staff to manage it. This extra time and resources can be utilized elsewhere to improve company infrastructure and productivity.
- Flexibility- Flexibility and scalability are core to cloud computing. When companies need more apps and services, it can be easily inserted into the cloud, and in the same way, resources can be subtracted if the need arises.
- Efficient Recovery Plan- Cloud computing services are quick, accurate, and reliable. The recovery plan of an enterprise becomes efficient due to the quick processes and reduced downtime by cloud computing, and also, the results are accurate.
Drawbacks of Cloud Computing:
- Limited Control- When an enterprise moves all its data into the cloud, it loses ownership over that data, and that particular data and information are virtually handed over and it becomes arduous for the IT staff to have full visibility and control over it.
- Limited Features- The enterprises, to cut down on costs, go in for the cloud services that have limited features. Unless firms do not opt for customization as per their requirements, cloud services will be tough to manage and security may get compromised.
- Servers to Remain- The servers may be reduced in number, but enterprises will need them to have backup and recovery. Organizations cannot let go of all the servers and staff when they move their data to the cloud.
- Redundancy Plans- A cloud server is not backed up in most cases unless opted for. Hence, enterprises may need to invest in backup plans. Although this will add to the overall expenditure, it will be worth it in case of emergencies.
- Bandwidth Problems- The organizations need to plan their network and all the services and apps on the cloud cannot be packed into a small set of data centers. For ideal performances, the company has to plan accordingly and see to it that there are no bandwidth issues and work doesn’t get hampered.
Before the enterprises perform the migration of their data into the cloud, enterprises must assess cloud computing benefits and they need to design and plan what is to be moved and how it is to be stored and processed. Adequate cloud security measures are to be implemented and this has to be planned together with the migration so that the confidential data remains safe and secure in the cloud. Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) solutions, when deployed by enterprises can instill greater access control into the system by imposing policies and restrictions on the access of confidential data so that their data remains secure.