More businesses today are switching to cloud computing to streamline their IT processes and make everyday computing easier and more accessible. Integrating cloud computing into the working process helps businesses reduce the cost of IT infrastructure and rent only for the services that they are using. The public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud are the three primary types of cloud computing that can be used, depending on the demands and size of the company. Using the public cloud, for instance, will be a great idea for SMEs as it gives them the possibility to rent and utilize the cloud with several businesses, which lowers the cost of services. However, before you decide to switch to this trend, it’s important to consider the pros and cons of cloud computing.
To help you make an informed decision, you can consult the experts in cloud testing services like QAwerk. In the meantime, the following advantages and disadvantages will help you weigh your options.
Is Cloud Computing Good for Your Business?
Cloud computing refers to the process of accessing and storing data online. Meaning, you don’t need a hard drive to store your data on your computer. Instead, you can access your stored information from a remote server. So, what are the pros of cloud computing to your daily business transactions?
- Save money. This is the main advantage of cloud computing. You save a substantial amount from your capital cost by eliminating the need for physical hardware. In addition, there’s no need to hire people to maintain your hardware. The cloud service provider buys and manages the equipment to secure data on the server.
- Quick deployment. Using the cloud allows your system to be completely functional in just a few minutes after deployment. However, it depends on the technologies used to store your data.
- Unlimited storage. Cloud hosting offers limitless storage for your data. Plus, you can expand the storage capacity of your cloud anytime at affordable monthly fees.
- Efficient recovery. Retaining your data and applications is more accurate and faster with cloud computing. It also has less downtime than traditional data storage techniques, so you enjoy an efficient recovery plan.
- Whether your employees are working remotely or in the office, they can quickly access cloud services. The only thing they need to retrieve the data is to connect to the internet.
- The cloud platform allows employees or team members from different locations to collaborate securely and conveniently. Cloud computing offers fast and efficient virtualization.
- Data back-up. Once your data is transferred to the cloud, it’s easier to create a backup and recover information. If you do it using hardware, the backup and recovery process can take up a lot of time.
- Another huge benefit of cloud computing is reliability. Meaning, you will get real-time updates on any changes made to your data. It’s always available while the cloud scales automatically when there’s an increase in demand.
Why Cloud Computing Can Be a Hassle?
On the other hand, there are potential challenges when using the cloud. Make sure to check out the following cons of cloud computing before you decide to implement it in your operations:
- Internet connectivity. Since the data in cloud computing is stored online, you will need to have a stable internet connection to access it. Otherwise, you won’t access your data and there’s no other way to retrieve the information from the cloud.
- Security threat. Perhaps, the biggest threat in using cloud computing is a security breach. Therefore, you need to understand the consequences of sharing sensitive information with your service provider before you adopt cloud technology.
- Performance may differ. In a cloud setting, applications run on the same server which gives resources or information to other clients or companies. A DDOS attack or greedy behavior can affect your shared resources and cloud performance.
Bottom Line
No matter the benefits and drawbacks of cloud computing, it’s undeniable how more companies are choosing this fast-growing cloud technology. The advantages still outweigh the disadvantages that cloud systems may have. More importantly, this IT service is ideal for all types of customers including enterprises, developers, and users.