Cloud computing relies on the use of a network of computers and servers connected through the Internet for the execution of computer services such as file storage and data processing.
All of this ease has positive impacts on companies that use cloud computing and hiring a cloud management provider can leverage those results.
Want to know more about using this technology and how it can help your company’s IT industry? Keep reading and check out the information we have prepared for you!
What are the types of service in the cloud?
Cloud computing services fall into three types: IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. The first is the simplest service and from it, new tools and features are added until the other two are built. Here’s what they mean:
IaaS (infrastructure as a service):
The most basic service provides an infrastructure of networks, file storage and virtual machines for the company that hires it;
PaaS (platform as a service):
In addition to the IaaS infrastructure, this service provides a platform that serves as an environment for application development. So developers do not have to worry about the framework on which applications are built, focusing only on developing, testing, validating, and publishing their products;
SaaS (software as a service):
The most complex form of cloud computing service. The software is distributed over the internet and the user makes use of it through a browser.
What are the advantages of this service?
All of these services have in common some advantages that make cloud computing an excellent tool for information technology teams within enterprises. We have listed 6 advantages of its use:
Increased storage capacity
The traditional way of storing digital files in small businesses is the use of hard disks (HDs). When data volume exceeds that of computers’ internal disks, some companies are looking to use external hard drives or file servers.
The problem of using both solutions lies in the low storage capacity of the units and the need for physical space in the company to maintain them. Increasing the storage capacity becomes complicated as it depends on the acquisition of new HDs or servers.
The use of cloud computing services, such as Microsoft Azure, enables you to hire up to hundreds of terabytes of space for your company’s files without any changes to your equipment or infrastructure.
The flexibility of cloud services also allows you to increase your contracted space without too much hassle by just changing your package of services.
Greater mobility and flexibility in access to information
Cloud computing usage breaks the barrier of needing to be in front of a particular machine to do their jobs. Files that have been created on a computer in the office can be accessed at home or on mobile devices.
This feature facilitates the adoption of the home office in companies, which, in addition to being an increasing tendency of work regime, helps in reducing the costs of the company, improves the satisfaction and performance of its employees.
The cloud is also more reliable than pen drives or memory cards as there is no risk that the ports used will cause problems connecting devices or files to be corrupted during a copy.
More safety to work
The biggest security difficulties a company can face are the loss and theft of data. Cloud computing is efficient in attacking both problems.
Keeping files in the cloud ensures that you have access to your work even if there is a defect that disables your office computer. The servers of cloud computing companies, where their documents will actually be stored, are also quite secure against the action of natural elements and cyber-attacks.
Storing information in the hands of third parties can create mistrust for some, but cloud computing services rely on security against hackers that a small or medium-sized business cannot maintain.
Large cloud computing servers, such as Microsoft Azure, are used by most Fortune 500 companies (The world’s most powerful). If your company hires such a service, your data in the cloud will have the same hacker security as those companies.
This does not mean that you can be careless with the safety of machines within your organization. Be careful with the passwords used to access documents in the clouds and to install reliable software on your machines.
Improvement of productivity indicators
Cloud computing facilitates access to information and jobs are kept in safer environments. All this is reflected in the increased productivity of the company’s professionals.
Employees in different offices, in the field, or in a home office, can interact as if in the same environment. Services like Office 365 allow employees to interact while editing documents, enabling them to do work collectively.
Simplification of IT management processes
The management of information technology systems, including installation, maintenance, and upgrades or changes of systems, may require a great investment of time, personal and financial by the company.
By using a cloud computing service, IT staff can create centralized solutions that will serve all users who access the cloud. Upgrading systems become faster and some processes, such as backups, can be configured to happen automatically.
In this way, IT staff can focus on more managerial than operational tasks, such as assessing the use of newly implemented systems and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) in their industry.
Partnership with cloud management provider
The options for cloud computing services are numerous and this can complicate the work of IT staff, especially in small and medium-sized businesses. This problem must be solved by hiring a cloud services management provider.
This vendor serves to mediate between your business and cloud computing service vendors. Because these vendors have multiple customers and are familiar with various products, they can guide your IT team to acquire the best set of services for your business.
In addition to assisting in the hiring phase, your cloud management provider should also assist you in operational activities such as daily support, backup management, incident resolution, upgrades, preventive maintenance, and so on.
Partnering with the vendor also helps in monitoring the quality of your IT services. The service level agreements (SLA) established help ensure minimum quality standards in support cloud service. Quality indicators help in this monitoring.