Keep your business up-to-date and competitive with Cloud computing!

You’ve no doubt heard about the cloud at some point, but there are some terms regarding the subject that frequently get mixed up. An obvious example of that is cloud storage and cloud computing.

What’s the difference? Cloud computing is a broader term that refers to the provision of IT resources and services through the internet by a third-party, which allows you to access your projects on-demand and performs digital tasks online. Cloud storage, on the other hand, refers to storing your files in a remote, off-site location, i.e the cloud. For example, every time you save a file on your Google Drive, you’re using cloud storage.

The main types of cloud computing services include:

• Software as a service (SaaS), which refers to a software application made accessible online by a third-party provider, and usually available to users through a subscription model. An SaaS does not need to be installed on a device, which makes such applications particularly appealing to businesses.
• Platform as a service (PaaS), which is a model that provides developers with a framework that they can use to create and manage scalable software applications. To put it more simply: PaaS gives you a space and tools for building software, without the need to manage the infrastructure.
• Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) provides basic cloud computing services, such as compute, network and storage resources that are made available on-demand, thus giving developers a fundamental infrastructure.

There are a couple of different ways in which cloud services can be made available Let’s quickly go through the main cloud development models:

• Public cloud, the most popular model, as the name itself suggests it’s publicly available to all users. The service provider maintains the servers, where data is created and stored. Public clouds are a great option for companies that don’t want to invest and be responsible for maintenance of their own hardware.
• Private cloud is, contrary to public cloud, a model in which cloud computing resources are available only to the specific organisation to which the hardware is dedicated to. Private cloud is the choice for institutions where top-notch security is the number one priority – for example in banks or governmental organisations.
• Hybrid cloud encompassess the traits of both private and public clouds. The use of a hybrid cloud depends solely on the organisation, but most commonly the more sensitive data is stored on the private cloud, while supporting applications are kept in the public cloud.

The most obvious advantage of moving your application to the cloud is that the resources are accessible to you from any device you want, but that’s not all of it. The use of cloud computing can enable businesses to cut operational costs, since it can help to save resources that would traditionally be spent on hardware, additional IT staff, etc. In addition to that, the pay-as-you-go model guarantees that you won’t be charged for resources you don’t actually need.

Scalability is also one of the strongest benefits of moving to the cloud, and of the main reasons companies choose this solution. By using cloud computing, you gain the ability to scale your application up or down as desired, depending on current needs. What is more, cloud solutions are also quite error-proof, and equipped with mechanisms that allow for a quick restoration of the service in case of any availability issues.

Cloud-native refers to application development that aims to harness the full potential of cloud services from the start, and makes use of all the features or services available. Cloud-native development allows developers to create solutions that are flexible, scalable and easy to maintain as it makes the most of elasticity, global deployment and other high-level services. It is characterised by being container-based and microservice-oriented.