Since the rise of the internet in the early 2000s, but especially post 2010s, Cloud services have become essential in our daily and work lives. People use Cloud-based software all the time without even realizing it.
Our e-mails, popular streaming services, payment applications, social media apps, etc. are all partially or fully Cloud-based.
According to Verified Market Research, the Cloud Computing market was valued at $252 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach $718 billion by 2027. But just what is Cloud technology and how did it get so big, so fast?
What is Cloud Technology and How Does It Work?
Cloud Technology (or simply Cloud) is a term used to describe access to computer resources – mainly hardware, software, and storage space – via the internet.
Before the internet and Cloud Computing, to use any of these resources, you had to physically own and have immediate access to them.
For example:
To use a piece of software, you needed access to a device that could install, store, and run it.
Compared to that, Cloud Computing offers many advantages:
For starters, nothing has to be in-house.
You don’t have to own any of the mentioned resources, hire IT staff, or have advanced computer knowledge yourself.
The Cloud service provider you decide to do business with will cover those things for you. (more on this in the next section).
These factors alone significantly reduced the barrier to entry and upfront and maintenance costs – something that previously gated many businesses from entering the digital era.
Once set up, your Cloud service can be used either through a web browser or lightweight software – such as a phone app.
This makes it compatible with all kinds of devices – computers, phones, tablets, etc.
Remote and on-demand access via the internet means anyone from anywhere can use it.
The only drawback being the quality of the service might rely on the quality of your network connection.
Flexibility and scalability are also huge advantages of Cloud computing compared to in-house infrastructure.
Since you won’t physically own anything, sizing up or down won’t be a problem.
Need to increase/decrease storage space or computing power?
Just talk to your Cloud service provider.
What Is a Managed Cloud Service Provider?
As the name suggests, Cloud Service Providers are companies that provide Cloud solutions to customers.
These businesses typically operate on a Pay-Per-Use (PPU) model.
Much like a utility bill, your total cost will be summed up by the total amount of cloud services used.
This way, you’ll never find yourself overpaying for things like unnecessary hardware, facilities, or personnel if you tried a do-it-yourself approach.
On the other hand, Managed Cloud Service Providers offer not only basic Cloud solutions such as storage, but also partial or complete management of your Cloud services for you.
This includes operations such as:
- Cloud migration
- Solution design and development
- System administration and updates
- Software and hardware maintenance
- Cybersecurity protocols
- Company and legal compliance
- Backup performing and recovery
- 24/7/365 IT support, and more
Managed Cloud Service Providers allow their customer to choose which of these IT operations will be done in-house or by the provider.
There are three common Cloud environments you’ll get to choose from – Public, Private, or Hybrid.
In Public Clouds, all resources are owned and managed by a third-party service provider (like Amazon Web Services)
Public clouds are low-cost, easily scalable, and fully maintained by the service provider.
In Private Clouds, the resources and infrastructure can be located in-house or hosted by a third party.
However, Private Cloud services are always kept on a private network and the hardware and software belong to one entity.
Hybrid Cloud environments are a combination of Public and Private clouds.
Companies that opt for Hybrid Cloud solutions typically prefer the cost-effectiveness of Public, while hosting smaller amounts of sensitive data on their Private infrastructure.
AppsCo Adds Extra Security To Your Cloud Resources
Using Cloud services is essential to many modern businesses, but also carries some risks.
Since access to resources is done via the internet, it’s important to know when, what, and who is accessing them.
This is where AppsCo One, with its identity and data management protocols, comes in.
Managers can use AppsCo One to:
- Grant or revoke user access to shared resources in a few clicks
- Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication such as 2FA
- Overview and manage devices accessing your network
- Remove credential theft risks with the Single-Sign-On (SSO) platform
- Safely add or remove user accounts when onboarding/offboarding
- All of this is done through ONE app
AppsCo itself is a cloud-based application, meaning you can access it on-demand and from all types of devices.
