Last year, about half of all corporate data was stored in the cloud. No wonder: everyone β from huge corporations to individual users β has gone crazy for cloud computing over the last decade. Cloud computing jobs have never been more valuable.
But if you’re a newbie to this cloud business, the cloud can be confusing. Well, worry not because we’re here to help you get a grip on cloud computing.
1. What Is the Cloud?
‘The cloud,’ to put it simply, just refers to legions of computers and servers that users can access and take advantage of over the internet. The laptop, desktop, or phone you’re reading this article on is an example of ‘local compute’: computing power that you own and have physical access to.
The cloud is the opposite: computing power you don’t own and can’t physically access, but you can still use it thanks to the internet.
2. Why Would I Use the Cloud?
Look at that device you’re using right now. It might be cutting edge, or it could be an old relic from 20 years ago. Either way, unless you’re an eccentric billionaire, it’s probably not as powerful as the combined power of all the servers at Google.
That’s the benefit of cloud computing. Individuals and companies that don’t specialize in maintaining massive ranks of servers get access to the enormous storage and computational power of the companies that do. It’s win/win!
3. What Do Normal People Use the Cloud For?
You’re probably familiar with backup services like Google Drive and Apple’s iCloud. If you asked the average person on the street, ‘What is cloud computing?’ they’d probably answer with one of those two services.
And, to be sure, cloud storage is a huge part of the cloud. It lets individuals save decades’ of family photos, entire musicians’ discographies, and so much more!
4. What Can Businesses Get Out of the Cloud?
Well, many companies seek IT consulting on cloud computing to use platform-as-a-service (PaaS) and infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) opportunities. These allow businesses to use cloud services as a powerful digital backbone for their daily operations: giving them spaces to deploy and use applications and run online experiences without maintaining those spaces themselves.
5. What’s the Future of the Cloud?
As time goes by, the cloud is only going to become more essential to our daily lives and the operations of companies. The advantages that come with economies of scale for stuff like computing power and storage blows away what’s possible in local devices, so get used to your computers doing less ‘computing’ and more ‘accessing’ as we head into the future.
Keep Your Head in the Cloud(s)
And there it is, a brief, handy overview of the enormous capacities of cloud computing. Whether you want to learn cloud computing for individual or business reasons, there’s never been a better time to do it. The foundation of our digital lives is only heading one way: to the cloud.
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