How Cloud Computing Will Level The Playing Field
July 25, 2011 | ProBlogger
This article is guest posted by Riley Kissel.
One of the great things about the Internet is that it has become the great leveler among large corporations and small businesses alike. It used to be that larger companies had the competitive edge in the online industry because they possessed greater resources and better access to technology and other capabilities, but this is no longer the case. Cloud services have greatly changed the way online businesses operate, and have introduced new tools to business owners and companies regardless of size or need, and will greatly change the way online business operates in the coming years.
If you’re an online business owner, then your ability to run programs and have the best and most immediate access to a level of technology is incredibly important. The online industry, before now, has been restricted from expansion due to the high cost of computing services. This is about to change as companies all over the world are now opening up hosting services. Now, as your need grows, so can your business with cloud computing services.
Knowing where and how to start is essential to understanding what cloud technology can do for you. If you’re not familiar with this concept, then first its important to know that there are basically three levels to cloud services:
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- Software as a Service (Saas)
Now, unless you’re a tech firm or large corporation, you’re not likely to be starting at the applications level. If you run a business blog, you’re going to benefit more from other services. It’s your application providers that use clouds to give you on-demand web-based applications. You’ll likely be using a public cloud based infrastructure to host your blog and most of the services you utilize will be on a pay-per-use level. This is highly useful for small start-up, Virtual Office, that doesn’t require as much computing power as a larger company or business.
One of the most beneficial aspects of using cloud services is its introduction of cost savings to the owner. There is almost no infrastructure costs or capital expenses that are required. This means that businesses will no longer require an extensive network of servers, routers, or storage equipment. Businesses are also able to use applications and service stores through cloud computing, and need very little in the way of physical space or investment. This is a far cry from how things have been done up till now.
Small businesses have been forced to deal with the stress and headache of implementing, managing, and maintaining their own computing software and resources. This is no longer the case. With cloud computing, businesses can now limit the risk of investing in large infrastructure. So, by renting these applications, businesses and entrepreneurs can tap into a vast network of software services. It will be beneficial to both productivity and the bottom line. This will be the new front in computing services and likely create an environment where anyone not using cloud services will be at a great disadvantage.
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