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    Benefits of the Cloud: Part 1

    April, 28 2016


    In the past few years the Cloud has become one of the most overused buzzwords in the tech world. Everyone is talking about it, but what does it actually mean? Essentially, the Cloud is just a server hosted virtually. Or in other words, the Cloud is a series of computers that host your applications and let you access them via the web. This concept is nice for individual consumers, but it is becoming a must for corporations.

    Cloud computing is a server hosted virtually.
    Cloud computing is a server hosted virtually.

    Having your applications hosted in the Cloud has a number of benefits, but it also just makes sense. You don’t manage your own telephone or internet lines, you don’t manage your power, why should you manage your servers? You don’t care how the phone or internet or power gets to your office, you just care that it gets there. The same should be the case with your applications.

    There are three main concerns when a business is considering hosting their content in the Cloud:
    Over the next few weeks, I will discuss each concern and explain why they are actually the very advantages of employing Cloud based hosting.

    • Cloud security
    • Cloud hosting being too expensive
    • Cloud reliability

    In this post, I am going to cover the first concern; security. This issue is of paramount importance to all businesses and the conversation usually starts with a question like this,

    Our application is confidential and has to be secure. How do I know I can trust someone else with my data?

    Application security is paramount.
    Application security is paramount.

    This is by far the most common concern with businesses adopting the Cloud. How can managers ensure that their data is safe and secure? This is understandable because the Cloud seems like an abstract concept and it’s hard to be comfortable with important material being secure if you can’t see it. But if this is the case, then why do people use banks? People think nothing of giving their entire personal wealth to a bank to keep safe. Why is this the case?

    It’s because banks are specialized at keeping money secure and the same is true with the Cloud. Clouds are stored in data centers that have world class technology to ensure security and reliability. Almost all Clouds are actually more secure and reliable than corporate servers for the same reason banks are more secure than keeping your money in your house.

    Even with the security question answered, there are still concerns remaining about cost and reliability. In my next post I will cover the issue of cost and explain how while hosting yourself may seem less expensive, there are many hidden costs that may make hosting in the Cloud a more attractive option.