Cloud computing is the term that describes the latest business technology that is being adopted all over the world at a rapid pace. Businesses are quickly moving away from traditional practices and investing in cloud computing and cloud-based applications. Businesses are drawn to the scalability and flexibility options that cloud computing provides. In this article, we discuss the reasons for this change in business work operation practice, and the options available for businesses to make the correct choice in terms of cloud computing to complement their business needs. What is cloud computing? Cloud computing is a technology where businesses purchase cloud-based applications through which their work processes and operations are automated and performed at a remote location. Usually, cloud computing is provided through cloud service providers and businesses purchase cloud-based products to ease their work and adopt a pay-as-you-use procedure. The business processes are set up and configured through cloud-based applications that work on cloud computing technology. This leads to businesses automating their work and performing tasks like customer management, product inventory and data reporting, and analytics remotely through a cloud-based application. This relives the businesses the burden of additional IT costs required to host powerful servers and other hardware equipment required to run applications and store business data and provides them with an opportunity to expand their business and work remotely by using a cloud-based application. Importance of cloud computing in IT Cloud computing has taken the load off business environments and provides a chance for the IT industry to offer business processes and services as an application. This application is run on the cloud, and all backend and server activities are taken care of by the service providers, giving the IT industry an opportunity to experiment and produce new products to gain business clients. The IT market is now filled with a range of cloud-based applications serving customers in different areas and niches in the industry. Cloud computing applications like database management software, CRM software, project management software, data analytics and reporting software, and business intelligence software are only some areas where cloud computing has paved the way for online business management tools. Cloud computing is playing an important role in the multimedia industry as well. Cloud-based software applications like Zoom, GoToMeeting, and Webex are proving a range of audio and video services and software for collaboration among team members of a business to provide them opportunities to work from remote places and come together online to perform their tasks efficiently. Importance of cloud computing in business Cloud computing is turning into a backbone for modern business infrastructure with the demand for a data-driven business approach many businesses are moving their data and business processes online to gain added benefits. Cloud computing helps businesses to set up a remote database, use management software to aggregate and organize data, and then use specialized cloud-based applications for data analytics and reporting to create meaningful data insights for business analysts. “With the cloud, individuals and small businesses can snap their fingers and instantly set up enterprise-class services.” - Roy Stephan, Founder and CEO, PierceMatrix Every area of business is influenced by cloud computing as a backup as a service (BAAS) software help businesses move their data remotely and backup and update data regularly through secure and reliable means. Software as a service (SAAS) lets businesses personalize and operate their business tasks online through a SAAS service like managing projects through Project management software or performing data analytics and reporting through embedded cloud-based applications. Businesses can collaborate effectively and perform their tasks efficiently through different cloud-based applications like Monday.com, Zoho Analytics, dotnet report builder, Izenda, and many more. Cloud computing advantages and disadvantages The growing popularity of cloud computing and cloud-based applications make us wonder if there are any drawbacks or flaws in the system. In this section, we will look closely at the advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing that businesses should look out for before making their decision to switch their business to cloud computing. Advantages Some advantages of cloud computing outweigh the disadvantages in terms of the benefits that are offered by moving data and business processes to a remote location. This scenario is ideal for business scalability and flexibility of work and can provide an opportunity for businesses to expand their business without a substantial increase in the operational and IT cost. Another benefit is the chance for collaboration and able to access the work environment and shared resources from any device and anywhere with internet access. Work files can be updated and shared by multiple workers simultaneously and everyone has access to the latest updated files. Ease of operation and ease of access are some added benefits of cloud-based applications in a work environment. “Cloud computing is empowering; companies leveraging cloud will be able to innovate cheaper and faster.” - Jamal Mazhar, Founder and CEO, Kaavo Disadvantages One con to consider while making a decision to move data and business to cloud computing is compromise on data security. When data is constantly accessed from remote locations over the cloud there is always a risk of data hacking and the online vulnerabilities of the Internet apply to the business data as well. There may be problems in accessing data and business applications if fast internet is not available or internet service crashes then the whole system would become inaccessible. These are some scenarios that users must evaluate carefully before opting for cloud computing. Cloud computing security Whenever a major business operation change is performed like moving business data to the cloud the most important concern is data security. Businesses would never compromise their data security for any change however lucrative it may sound. They need to be completely assured of their data security before they change their business operating model to move to cloud computing. Following are the different options available for cloud computing if a business is contemplating a move to cloud computing, business analysts must analyze the pros and cons before choosing the model best suited to their needs. Public clouds Public clouds are open to the public, as the name suggests. It is the classic computing model where a large pool of shared resource environments is available for storage of data from all business vendors that purchase the storage. There is no limitation of data storage and can be allotted as per the requirement of the client. Usually, this type of cloud resource is suitable for customers with less sensitive data. The data storage and backup follow the regular data security protocols for their cloud-based service. Private clouds Private clouds are usually an attractive choice for personalized businesses handling sensitive data and they require a greater level of security for their data. They can implement their business environment remotely using Private clouds where they will have some features of public cloud in addition to added security features like control of remote locations. This allows them to be aware of and control which piece of data is stored at what location and they are able to monitor and control access to their data even though it is being managed remotely. Hybrid Clouds A middle-level cloud option is also available where a company might want to store some of its data through a public cloud and some sensitive information like customer data or other confidential information through a private cloud. These types of combination clouds are called Hybrid clouds. They can be completely personalized to satisfy the data needs of customer business and be implemented according to their business environment. Conclusion Cloud computing is here to stay and has secured a firm position in the market because of the benefits it brings with it for the growth of a business. The zest of the matter is that before taking the leap, the data team must evaluate the business needs of their company and choose the model best suitable for them to make a smarter shift to cloud computing. This would make it easier for them to migrate the data and deal with any hassles that may come in the way. Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
