Besides artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), I believe cloud services have been a godsend for businesses. According to sources, 94% of companies worldwide use cloud services in some capacity. It’s because cloud services may help businesses in:
- Data Storage and Backup
- Business Scalability
- Ease of Access to Information over Cloud Servers
- Automate Routine Operations
Despite the unimaginable benefits, some businesses still may not opt for cloud services for multiple reasons, such as:
- Costs
- Data Security
- Privacy Issues
- Data Migration Issues
In this article, I will explain everything there is to know about cloud services. So, if you’re confused whether to invest in cloud services or not, read on:
What are Cloud Services?
The cloud services follow a “pay as you go” model where companies do not own any computing tool or software. Instead, they rent those resources from third-party vendors or cloud services developers over the internet. Also, companies using cloud services are not responsible for the maintenance and upgradation as it’s done by the cloud host.
Types of Cloud Services
There are three types of cloud services, which are:
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
Arguably, SaaS is the most widely used type of cloud service and offers a variety of services like file storage, backup, cloud apps, project-management tools, and more.
Examples of famous SaaS products are:
- Slack
- Microsoft Office 365
- Dropbox
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
Unlike SaaS, IaaS does not offer tools or apps but infrastructure for businesses to maintain a cloud data center and storage, servers, or networks. Essentially, IaaS helps businesses to get rid of on-premises data centers which may be too costly to manage.
Examples of common IaaS tools are:
- Google Compute Engine
- Microsoft Azure
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
PaaS tools are mostly used by web developers and offer hardware or software over a cloud platform. Unlike SaaS and IaaS, PaaS may be more frequently used by developers, since its applications are more suitable for their needs. For instance, developers can create apps without needing to maintain their infrastructure like servers, databases, or operating systems.
Some common PaaS examples are:
- IBM Cloud Foundry
- Cloudways
- Oracle Cloud Platform
Pre-Requisites of Using Cloud Services
Moving on, let’s take a look at some major factors you should be mindful of before choosing cloud services:
- Before choosing cloud services, every business should keep its existing data and IT infrastructure in mind. This way, businesses may easily migrate existing data and files to the cloud platform.
- Companies must ensure to have a reliable connection like Spectrum Internet so the cloud services work without any lag or interruptions.
- Companies should train employees to understand and comprehend how a cloud service works.
- In case of security breaches (which are rare with cloud services), companies should have a plan in place to promptly tackle the issue.
- Companies should also ensure that their existing systems are up-to-date to support the cloud services.
Benefits of Using Cloud Services
Here, I will discuss some vital benefits of cloud services for business:
Cost Effectiveness
Cloud services may be more cost-efficient than on-premises services as they eliminate the need for an in-house IT team. Since cloud services follow a pay-as-you-go model, you can easily opt for cloud services for a subscription fee. And you can discontinue the subscription without any hassle when your need ends.
In addition, cloud services save you the headache of developing your IT solutions, which may require the services of skilled IT professionals.
No Maintenance and Upgradation
One of the biggest pros of cloud services is that companies do not need to maintain, manage, or update them with time. It is the duty of the cloud host or service provider to manage the cloud services for the users.
Easily Scalable
Cloud services are easily scalable with the business’s growth. For a growing business, in-house IT teams may need more investment and expertise to develop an IT infrastructure capable of supporting their growing needs.
That said, companies can easily scale their business by upgrading to a high-tiered plan offered by the cloud services provider. Although switching to a high-tiered plan would be costly, it may be more affordable than having an in-house IT team developing tools/software from scratch. Also, not to mention that developing your own tools/resources may take time. But with cloud services, you can instantly get access to more tools/resources and increase your IT power.
Access to Latest Technology
As discussed above, developing new tools and resources may be time-consuming and costly for companies. However, with cloud services, businesses can use the latest IT tools and resources over the internet by simply subscribing to them.
Wrapping Up: A Quick Comparison Between Cloud and On-Premises Services
Before I wind up, here’s a quick review of how cloud services fare against in-house services:
| Factors | Cloud Services | In-House Services |
| Cost | The costs of cloud services may only relate to the subscription fee for using that tool/software. | The cost may be higher as companies may need to develop, maintain, upgrade, and scale their tools/software. |
| Maintenance | The cloud host maintains and upgrades the tools/software. | In-house IT teams are responsible for maintaining and upgrading tools/software. |
| Scalability | Easily scalable as companies may increase their IT power by subscribing to a high-tiered plan. | Scalability can be expensive as businesses may require additional hardware, servers, networks, and more to cater to more advanced tools/software. |
| Control | The data is shared between the company and the cloud service provider. | In-house IT teams have complete control and privacy over their data. |
| Data Security | Companies have to depend on the cloud host’s data practices and security measures. In most cases, cloud hosts take extensive measures to secure users’ data. | In-house IT teams can take any security measure and use any protocol they want to secure their data. |