Cloud computing has grown to become a multi-billion dollar global industry. According to a market research report, the market is expected to grow to $623.3 billion by 2023. It was so much bigger than the $272 billion value in 2018. If you're curious about why you might also need a cloud computer, here are the top ways organizations use it:
1. Data Backup
A report showed how cybersecurity attacks have jumped by 31% from 2020 to 2021. You would not want to be a part of this dreaded statistic by falling victim to a data breach. A successful cyberattack might be fatal to your business, so you need a cloud computer backup.
Traditional data backup methods work, but they risk getting lost, attacked by viruses, or physically ruined during a disaster. Cloud data backups can minimize these risks. Using a cloud computer is also in line with the 3-2-1 rule of thumb, requiring three copies of data on two different storage media and one offsite storage, like the cloud.
Restoring data backups from cloud storage is also quicker than retrieving them from portable storage that might be stored physically far from your location.
2. Data Storage
One of the top cloud computing applications is file storage. Its benefits come from the ease of access to stored files in the cloud, as long as you have an Internet connection. You can use popular cloud computing storage services, such as OneDrive, DropBox, or Amazon S3. These providers offer secure and scalable cloud storage you can adjust according to your needs.
3. Disaster Recovery
Disaster recovery is now more affordable than ever if you use a cloud computer. You can replicate your network structure in the cloud, including its data and configuration. In case of a disaster, you can resume your operations if you restore your files and settings from the cloud backup. This reason alone is a good enough motivation to consider seriously investing in a cloud computer.
4. Communication Support
Many popular communication tools use the cloud, such as Skype, WhatsApp, emails, and calendars. Every time you call, send a message or attach a file through these communication tools, the data gets stored in the cloud.
5. Software Testing
Are you in the business of developing software and application? If you are, you should be familiar with the long and expensive software testing process. You have probably dealt with installing and configuring software and hardware and training your staff. But you can overcome them.
Software testing in the cloud has a few benefits. It is more cost-effective, saves time, has unlimited availability, is scalable, and is customizable.
6. Big Data Analytics
Businesses need data about the latest market trends, customer preferences, sales, and other factors. They need big data to identify potential for business growth, resolve existing problems, and more. However, gathering and analyzing data is pretty demanding on computing resources.
Fortunately, you can rely on a cloud computer to help you keep and manage big data. If you are worried about the budget, don't be. Many service providers offer cloud computing applications with pay-as-you-go pricing. You only pay for the resources you used.
7. Business Process
Do you get help from Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and other business management applications? If you do, you're already one of those using the cloud because SaaS relies on cloud computing to deploy enterprise-level applications. These applications are critical to managing and securing your resources, optimizing maintenance, and ensuring operational efficiency.
8. Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Instead of paying for costly physical servers and virtualizing your IT infrastructure, why not invest in what a cloud computer can do? You can find cloud computing providers offering pay-per-use services. For instance, IaaS will save you money by not paying for VMware licensing fees and virtual server hardware.
With IaaS, there is no need to run the hosting software or hardware yourself. Instead, you can save your applications and files on virtual machines.
If you don't want to run the virtual machines yourself, you can try PaaS. You only need to post your code to the cloud service. You can then leave it up to the service to prepare the application, ready for you to use.
Are you ready to enjoy the multiple uses of a cloud computer? If you are looking for reliable cloud computing services, count on us here at Swift Systems. We can assess your current IT infrastructure so you can recommend the best IT services you need. Contact Swift Systems today!