The Potential of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a relatively new technology that allows data to be stored, distributed and manipulated with greater ease than ever. As described by Gurjar and Rathore (2013), the “Cloud is a large pool of easily usable and accessible virtualized resources. These resources can be dynamically reconfigured to adjust to a variable load, allowing also for an optimum resource utilization” (p. 1). By moving data, documents and media to the Cloud, the potential for business efficiency and productivity increases and anyone with internet can take advantage of the benefits. As with anything, it is important to understand the risks and benefits in order to weigh whether or not moving to the Cloud is the best move for the business. Some companies, like Lavu, an iPad based point of sale system, operate solely on the Cloud. Without Cloud computing capability, some organizations would not exist.

There are three different kinds of cloud storage available: Public Clouds, Private Clouds and Hybrid Cloud service. The differences between the types of cloud storage available can be deduced from the names. Public Cloud storage is designed for large, multi-user structures, like Instagram. Public Cloud servers tend to be operated and maintained by another major organization with servers all over the world, like RackSpace or Amazon. Private Cloud storage is built with the infrastructure of a specific user, like the government. More often than not, Private Cloud storage users operate and maintain their own servers for security and uninterrupted service maintenance. Hybrid Cloud storage is a case-based combination of Public and Private Cloud storage based on the needs of the organization (Ju, Wu, Fu, Lin & Zhang, 2011). In comparison to the traditional ...

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...isks like security and compliance are major deterrents from fully adopting Cloud based technologies, but I believe we will see this progress in the next few hours to allow hesitant organizations and individuals peace of mind when they switch to the Cloud.

References:

Gurjar, Y., & Rathore, V. (2013). Cloud business intelligence - is what business need today.International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering, 1(6)

Hemalatha, S., & Manickachezian, R. (2012). Present and future of cloud computing: A collaborated survey report. International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering, 1(2)

Ju, J., Wu, J., Fu, J., Lin, Z., & Zhang, J. (2011). A survey on cloud storage. Journal of Computers, 6(8), 1764 - 1770

Robu, M. (2012). Cloud computing based information systems - present and future. The USV Annuals of Economics and Public Administration, 12(2(16))