What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is a term used to describe the Internet as a method of delivering information, software and other services i.e. keeping computing resources on-line rather than on-site, such as software and storage.
How does it work in practice?
Cloud computing essentially is a service that enables businesses to ‘rent’ applications, share space or infrastructure from a specialist company. This means that rather than buying a physical software disk and installing on your PC, for example, you can access the application via the web and use it as and when you need to.
Why is it called Cloud Computing?
Cloud Computing is termed as such purely and simply because the cloud symbol was originally used to illustrate the Internet in diagrams and presentations.
Why do I need to investigate Cloud Computing?
To use your own IT infrastructure, IT department and applications ‘in-house’ is often an expensive overhead. You would need skilled IT personnel as well as the required hardware and other technology on your premises. Cloud Computing companies provide all of these services and resources as part of their offering, along with other useful services such as data storage and back-up for generally less than it would cost to buy outright or manage in-house.
What are the benefits?
To host your own web activities in house is often an expensive overhead. You would need skilled IT personnel as well as required the hardware and other technology on your premises. Hosting companies provide all of these services and resources as part of their offering, along with other useful services such as firewalls for generally less than it would cost to manage all of this in house. Overall, Cloud Computing can lead to reduced costs and access to resources that perhaps your company would have difficulty in funding or finding difficult to justify.
How will I make sure that the Cloud Computing provider will deliver the services that we agreed to?
Both parties must agree to a service level agreement (SLA) which is a list of services and objectives that the company agrees to deliver. The SLA provides a framework that both you and your service provider agree to. In broad terms, it may be that the selected company must respond to an issue within a fixed time, provide you with problem management and resolution and offer performance measurement reporting. This is critical because you access information, data, applications and other services on-line and without this it can be difficult to continue working effectively.
How do I find the right vendors and partners?
Conjungo is a great starting point, because it will let you find the right supplier according to your location, company type, size and whether they have the right accreditations. Furthermore, Conjungo is completely unbiased, has most of the major vendors’ partners included and is supported by the vendors as well as being free to use.