Cloud Computing

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing broadly describes off-premise, on-demand computing where the end-user is provided applications, computing resources, and services (including operating systems and infrastructure) by clouds services provider via the Internet. The hosting industry came out of the need for software and computing services that were managed internally, but were made more economical and accessible through the economies of scale of a hosted implementation.

Most service providers offer cloud computing in the form of VPS hosting, shared hosting, and software-as-a-service (SaaS). Cloud services have long been offered in the form of SaaS, such as Microsoft Hosted Exchange and SharePoint.

Cloud computing is efficient and offers opportunities for increased revenue and new channels for independent software vendors (ISVs), telcos and VARs (in the form of SaaS). It offers on-demand services where customers can pay for what they use, and adjust resources to what they need with no long-term commitment.

For hosters, cloud computing provides tremendous growth potential. The cloud services industry is growing rapidly and is forecasted to be 9% of all IT spending by 2012. Plus, the industry buzz is changing from hosting to cloud computing and SaaS, and your customers will begin to expect you to be an expert in these areas.

How will Cloud Computing benefit me?

We all experience a daily dose of cloud computing through online shopping and banking, streaming videos and music and through social media. Yet, much confusion exists within organizations as to what cloud computing really means to their business or how it can be leveraged to eliminate some of their IT struggles.

Businesses have the common goals of wanting increased revenue, lower operating costs, improved productivity and superior customer service. Various types of cloud computing solutions are being chosen by businesses across the globe because of the benefits it can offer. These benefits include:

Business Agility. Flexibility is a key aspect of cloud computing. The types of hardware and software applications that can be applied to the cloud are endless. And, the cloud offers the ability to expand (and contract) as needs change. Adding additional storage, network bandwidth or memory can be done rapidly without much intervention from IT staff.

Easier collaboration. Cloud computing provides tools that can help increase the mobility, productivity, collaboration and competitive firepower of any business. These services help organizations become more productive through better communication, anywhere access and coordination of messages, contacts, calendars, task lists, and important documents. Co-workers can use presence tools to know when others are available to assist in making quick business decisions and to aid in customer support.

Cost Savings. One of the key advantages of cloud computing is that businesses pay on a consumption bases. Expenses become a recurring monthly operating expense dependent up on the number of users per month. More resources are purchased as they are needed, rather than over-provisioning for peaks. Up-front costs to implement a cloud solution are usually minimal. And, the ongoing expenses for updating software, maintenance, infrastructure and power/cooling are reduced.

Remote access. With data and applications located in the cloud, it becomes easier for workers to access systems remotely regardless of the device they are using. Geographic boundaries are shattered allowing users to easily connect anytime, anywhere and giving businesses the ability to hire a talent from anywhere in the world.

Disaster recovery and backups. Cloud computing offers the ability to backup multiple business locations at once. Multiple copies of the data are kept in sync at several locations providing faster recovery times at a fraction of the cost of a traditional disaster recovery solution. Also, there are a number of cloud models available so solutions can be customized.

How can PCM help me get started?

Considering a cloud computing solution for your organization? Have more questions about security and compliance issues or not sure where to get started? We’re here to help!