Use the internet for anything more than reading emails and you will have heard the term ‘cloud computing’ or something similar. In simple terms, cloud technology refers to anything that you connect to over an internet connection. For some people, that’s only their Facebook account, but for many others, cloud technology plays a large part of their lives.
Consumer Uses for Cloud Technology
People use cloud technology every day without attributing the term ‘cloud computing’ to what they actually do. Someone who stores their family albums on Flickr is using a cloud storage service. Similarly, someone who orders a customised greeting card for delivery direct to a family member is using cloud computing design software while customising a card. People use cloud technology every day without ever realising it because it has become so integral to our lives.
Business Uses for Cloud Technology
Cloud technology for businesses has changed the makeup of enterprises in recent years because modern businesses no longer need to invest heavily in IT infrastructure because of Infrastructure as a service (IaaS). IaaS encompasses everything from storage through to processing and is available on a pay-as-you-go service that allows businesses to pay only for what they need. Cost may be the main advantage of IaaS, but scalability comes a close second.
Being able to scale up and down without interruption means there are no costly hardware upgrades and when business drops off or redundant hardware when the number of users are reduced. Consequently, businesses are more likely to find out about cloud technology with Dell, than to contact Dell to buy a suite of machines,each with their own processing power. Businesses that are happy with even less involvement in their infrastructure can use a platform as a service (PaaS) instead of IaaS.
Why PaaS is Popular in Business
Paas is amiddle ground between IaaS and SaaS or put simply, PaaS customers have an operating system on which to install their own software or develop new software. The Paas setup istreat in much the same way as any system that a business physically owns without the ability to alter the hardware without upgrading or downgrading a subscription.
PaaS is particularly useful for businesses that use bespoke software, but no longer want or need to manage their own IT infrastructure. Users of PaaS services benefit from the same cost reductions as SaaS, but have more flexibility in what they can use the service for, although they are limited when compared to IaaS customers.
Being part of the Dell team, I know we have a great range of cloud technology solutions available on our site. Visit the site and browse the solutions on offer.
By Kira Browdy
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