Cloud Computing – The New Frontier

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Date: December 11, 2019

As a computer user, be it a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone, you have some major fears. One that the device would die suddenly, secondly, your most-used applications would crash, and the third is that the device would run out of storage space.

We have seen storage space requirements leaping from MBs to GBs and now TB. What next? 

Just picture this scenario, you have a device that has a display screen, a keypad, a sizzling fast processor, and connects to the internet. You don’t have to worry about applications crashing and running out of storage space. Fantastic, isn’t it? 

This is the future of computing, and it’s called Cloud Computing. Nope, don’t look up at the sky to see if there is a cloud that’s got your applications and data stored on it. Cloud in cloud computing is just a metaphor. It was first coined in an internal magazine of Compaq.

Basically, it started with offering a backup for important files, documents, and applications. A user could access all their important information from anywhere using any device.  

Brief History of Cloud Computing?

What is cloud computing? You might have come across this term but are unsure of what it means and how will it impact the computer world as we know it. It’s not a brand-new technology; its earliest mention was in 1977 by ARPANET and CSNET in 1981, both predecessors of the internet. It was popularized by Amazon.com in 2006 when it released its Elastic Compute Cloud.

Escalation of Cloud Computing

Android phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops all have limited storage capacities. If you want to increase the storage space, you have to pay to get a bigger hard drive or memory card. They also have a limit. Just store 500 favorite pictures, a few movies, and you will be back to square one. You will be running out of storage space!

Today, users not only store important documents, but their thirst for storing videos, music, movies, and other digital paraphernalia has skyrocketed. Today, even 100GB seems to be measly storage to a user. 

This is where cloud computing comes in handy; you can subscribe and buy storage space, and if you need more space, just pay more, and your storage capacity is increased. You don’t have to buy a bigger hard drive or a memory card and transfer all your memorabilia on it. 

A good cloud storage solution will save and keep all your applications, important documents, pictures, videos, and all the devices that you use in sync. All you need is to connect to the internet from any device, anywhere, and start your work from where you left off.

How does Cloud Computing Work?

Cloud computing service providers have set up computer centers at various geographical locations across the globe. These centers have state of the art computers with massive storage capacities and multiple fiber optic internet connections. They mirror each other and remain connected to each other 24/7. If for any reason, one site goes down, another one takes over its work seamlessly. 

Just think for a moment, Facebook has millions of users spread across the globe. Do you think Facebook could manage all their user requests from just one or two computer centers? Google has millions of users entering queries every minute. They could never handle this traffic using one or two massive computers.  

Cloud computing became the only feasible solution for them.

Impact of Cloud Computing on Multinational Organizations

Global companies that have their branches spread all over the world were dependent on their own computer departments to handle the computing requirements. With the requirements of constantly upgrading their hardware and employing IT staff to run and manage these centers used to cost a lot. 

Cloud computing has provided a huge relief by providing a cost-effective solution for corporate users. Now all their applications, data, user requirements are managed by cloud computing, and companies no longer have to fret about continually investing in upgrading hardware. 

Outsourcing computer services has freed these organizations from all the hassles of managing their in-house computer centers. 

Best Cloud Computing Solutions

Today, whether you are a corporate client or an ordinary computer user, you can pick a cloud computing solution that will cover your current and future computing requirements easily. If you are an Apple user and all your devices are Apple products, you can choose iCloud as it integrates seamlessly with all Apple products. iCloud starts by offering a measly 5GB, but you can easily upgrade your storage requirements. 

Microsoft OneDrive is excellent for a family that uses Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. So you can all use the same storage for all your devices. 

Then, of course, there is Google One. It offers 15GB of free space, and you can subscribe to increase your storage requirements. 

There is a number of well-known cloud computing service providers. Selecting the one that suits your requirements depends on the service level you want and how much are you willing to pay for it. Remember, all the cloud computing services have their pros and cons, so do read the fine print before you sign up.

Bottom Line

Cloud computing will be the best computing solution in the foreseeable future, and what it offers is pretty good. It frees you from lugging a laptop around, and if you are comfortable with a smartphone, you don’t have to carry any other device. 

As long as you are connected on the internet, all your digital requirements are within easy reach. Connect, login, and carry on. That’s the future of cloud computing.