Top 7 Most Common Uses of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is still a new paradigm in the business community, yet it is fast catching up with the business world due to the horde of opportunities it opens up. With its help, any big or small company can attain a competitive standing. The winners are no longer the big names. Even startups and small companies can become the dark horses and lead the race from the top. The significant gains a company can attain within a short span of time and its easy pay-as-you-go method only add to the lure.

Instead of telling you all that you can do with cloud computing, we thought it best to tell you of its top 7 most common uses. This will help you get an insight into how the majority of the players are utilizing the cloud resources and probably give you, too, the confidence to embark on the journey.

1. IaaS And PaaS – IaaS or Infrastructure as a Service provides vital compute, network, and storage resources to clients on-demand. These are provided over the internet and are extended on pay-as-you-go lines. Applying a current infrastructure scheme on a pay-per-use basis is an evident preference for organizations that wish to save on the cost of acquiring, managing, and maintaining an IT framework.

PaaS or Platform as a Services extends clients the complete setup, which includes the hardware, software, and infrastructure for developing, executing, and managing applications. So there’s no need for the clients to build and maintain a complex IT infrastructure on their premises. The main benefit of PaaS is that the companies get a pre-built and easy-to-use platform on which they just have to deploy their apps. This makes for swift app development and immense cost savings.

2. Storage – Cloud offers a very secure environment for companies to store their files and data. These can be accessed and retrieved anywhere and anytime through a fast and secure internet connection. Moreover, access to the files can be restricted by making them available to only those who need the information. The others will not be able to see or use them. The prime advantage of cloud storage is that a company only pays for the storage space they use. Maintaining the storage infrastructure is the headache of the cloud service provider.

3. Backup – The problem with the traditional data backup system was it was vulnerable to infections. A strategically placed virus or a trojan could hack the complete system. In the case of portable storage devices, there was always a chance of them getting stolen or misplaced. The cloud addresses these issues by offering a data backup and archiving place away from your premises. Here the data is stored safely and securely and without any risk of data getting compromised in any form. 

Now you can backup not just the daily data collected or processed by the business but also all that information that is critical to your business. The backup happens automatically, and you can access it anytime an unforeseen incident happens.

4. Disaster Recovery – 75% of the enterprises that don’t have a disaster recovery plan fold within 3 years of a crisis event. Having a disaster recovery plan ensures business continuity. Any firm can now build it over the cloud in a cost-effective manner. The recovery solutions offered by the cloud are fast and capable of recovering data from numerous physical storage facilities spread in several locations. 

When a calamity strikes, you can still recover your programs, files, applications, and data from the cloud. All you need is a computer and a secure internet connection. You are now set to start from wherever you left off without any breaks.

5. Development And Testing – Developing new products and testing them for accuracy and efficiency is very important for tech companies. Today, an engineer can use the cloud for this very purpose and reduce months of work to mere days. Organizations that work on a strict budget can benefit from this aspect of the cloud. Cloud computing provides a ready environment for the development and testing of applications. Adding to the charm is the ready availability of physical and virtual resources that come with it.

6. Hybrid Cloud And Multi Cloud – Most organizations still need to access files and services on their private cloud. A Hybrid cloud allows such companies to connect their private cloud to the public cloud via a secure virtual network. So the public cloud becomes an extension of the private cloud.

Multi Cloud allows businesses to use more than two public clouds. For example, they run some services on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and others on Google Cloud Computing (GCP). The advantage of a multi-cloud environment is that one faces problems the other can take over the load without interrupting the business operations. The only drawback of this system is that the company has to pay for every cloud they use, thereby increasing the cost.

7. Big Data Analytics – The cloud methodology of extracting, transforming, and loading data allows enterprises to store and process all their structured, unstructured, and semi-structured data with ease. Even if the data is not needed today, it can still be stored for future use. AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) offerings of the cloud can be utilized to discover patterns. The insights gained thereof can help the business achieve its goals. Big data analytics also plays a critical role in improving customer experience, developing new markets, achieving cost optimizations, etc. 

Big data analytics is a necessity today. It makes real-time data analysis possible and that too accurately and swiftly. All of this happens over the cloud with just a few clicks and makes for one of the most common uses of cloud computing.

The cloud has much to offer to all companies. Its resources are cheap and deliver outstandingly on all that it promises. Cost efficiencies, accurate real-time data analysis, excellent DevOps environment are just a few of its unlimited offerings, which an increasing number of businesses are realizing they can’t do without. No doubt cloud computing is here for good. It is now up to the market players to realize how they wish to harness its power to gain a strong foothold in their industry and become a competitive player in the process. 

If you need help with your cloud strategy, contact Oamii Technologies , a cloud services consulting company. We can help you achieve your business milestones faster and more efficiently with tailored cloud computing solutions.