Cloud Computing Basics

Everyone uses cloud computing resources these days! You are probably utilizing a cloud computing service to access your web-based email account, for example. Or, maybe you use a cloud data storage system such as Google Drive or Microsoft's OneDrive. If you are a Netflix subscriber, you are using their cloud-based servers to stream those adventure-filled movies over the web. Yes, we use lots of cloud computing services indeed, and yet, very few of us really understand what cloud computing means. Hopefully, this quick guide will explain the basics.

"Cloud computing" is, in fact, just a catchy name that was invented by a clever marketing team. There is nothing cloudy about "cloud computing", really! At a basic level, cloud computing systems consist of a network of powerful servers that have various applications installed on them. So, why do we need these cloud servers, in the first place?

Let's assume that you run a small business. You sell shoes online, for example. Since you do such a great job, all your friends and relatives purchase shoes from your website. Then, they tell their friends about your great site; as a result, more and more people start visiting your website and buying your products.

Since your site is hosted on a shared server, the increased number of visitors will make it slow down to a crawl, and even go offline every now and then. And not being online is a sure recipe for disaster, because your customers will get angry if they want to purchase your merchandise, and your website is down! This is the moment when you should definitely consider using cloud hosting services.

Why? Because unlike traditional hosting companies, which have flat month-to-month fees, cloud providers offer flexible hosting services. This means that if your website receives 1,000,000 visitors this month, you will pay more money for your hosting bill indeed. But if your site will only get 1,000 visitors next month, your hosting bill will be much smaller. In a nutshell, you will only have to pay for the computing resources that your website is actually using! So, it is very easy to scale up or size down the online component of your business, depending on your particular needs.

As you can see, cloud hosting services are highly scalable and very affordable, allowing you to focus your efforts on growing your business, rather than wasting your time trying to make things work by using the services provided by a traditional hosting company. So, do yourself a favor and start hosting your website on a cloud-based server today, rather than utilizing a dedicated server for the job.

Cloud computing offers you access to virtually unlimited computing resources, which are neatly organized and patched for you. That's right, if you utilize cloud computing services, you won't need to spend a lot of time fixing stuff – everything will work fine, without you having to deal with anything else than your site or application!  

Yes, cloud computing isn't just about hosting. You can also store your web-based software in the cloud, build a web service, back up your data, and much more. Working with a cloud-based service is often very easy; you can use a regular computer, and often even a mobile device (including your smartphone!) to access the cloud.

With cloud services, you won't ever have to worry about hardware. No need to keep servers updated, add a new hard drive because you ran out of space, scan the files for viruses, or hire a system admin to do all these things for you.

More than this, the needed CPU resources are instantly available. And to make things even easier on your end, most providers offer generous trial periods, which allow you to test their services thoroughly. The conclusion is simple: start moving your stuff to the cloud. You will save a lot of trouble and money – guaranteed!