Cloud Computing Services are Gaining in Popularity

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Cloud Computing Services are Gaining in Popularity

Posted On : Feb-18-2011 | seen (666) times | Article Word Count : 976 |

Cloud Computing allows small businesses to cut costs on computer services and other technologies. But take precautions when choosing a vendor.

The hottest trend in business has now become a necessity: Cloud computing services. But when you choose to get on a “cloud” take caution: not all providers are equal.

For those individuals, simply put, cloud computing, or cloud services are services provided over the Internet or "cloud,” whereby a set of shared resources, as well as software and information are provided to computers and other devices on demand. It’s like an online hub for computer services and offsite storage rolled into one, and it’s apparently making things a lot cheaper for a lot of companies.

What does it mean? Basically it means that for example, if you now store all your company’s data on backup drive (we used to call them Zip drives in the 1990s), you have the option of paying someone, a company, to store that data for you, offsite, in a location that does essentially nothing but cloud computer services. What are the advantages? Many, say the experts. Here are the top four according to Livelink:

1.Nearly zero startup costs -- while some computer is required to access the cloud, in theory at least a cloud-based application could be set and run from a smartphone and be able to meet virtually any load the Internet can throw at it. Contrast this with any hosted application which requires significant hardware & software purchases and installation.

2.Nearly zero administrative costs -- the system administration costs are rolled into the services provided, most importantly is that you as an application developer do not need to hire administrators nor rely on your own skills, it will be expertly taken care of for you.

3.Nearly zero wait time -- the "cloud" is there, always, and new applications can be started almost immediately (once the accounting has been taken care of). Pay up and you can start.

4.Nearly free advanced services: Fault tolerance, which is the ability to withstand hardware faults within the system without affecting the computer service(s) running; for stand-alone servers true fault tolerance comes at more than twice the cost of a similar service that is not fault tolerant.

5.The promise of cloud computing is that it can be like a ray of sunshine for a business that needs to increase information technology capacity or capabilities quickly without being bogged down by the expense of buying new infrastructure, licensing software, and training staff. These days, businesses can find a pot of savings at the end of the rainbow by paying for IT services -- including infrastructure, software, security, and even collaboration platforms -- on a subscription or a pay-per-usage basis.

However, according to INC magazine, when it comes to choosing a cloud computing vendor, there are thousands of options. And finding the right one can be as tricky as predicting the weather.

That means small and mid-sized businesses need to do some homework before plunging into a cloud computing agreement with a vendor. Experts say there's a wide landscape of services out there, and, when selecting a vendor of computer services of any kind, including cloud and data storage services, it’s critical to elect services that mirror your currant IT infrastructure. In other words: select the bells and whistles if you must, but be sure you need them.

The first question you need to answer is whether a cloud computing solution is right for your business. For many small and mid-sized businesses, or start-ups, managing computer systems and networks can distract from running other, more fundamental aspects of running a business. Between computers that crash, software that needs to be upgraded, and morphing security risks from Internet connectivity, computer services and IT technology management are a full-time job. If you don't have an IT department or you don't have the resources to grow that department, it may make more sense to outsource some of your IT needs, which is why cloud computing is so appealing to a growing number of companies.

Cloud computing providers can often offer businesses lower prices for access to more sophisticated technology because you share those IT resources with other companies, thereby reducing the overhead costs to the vendor of licensing software or buying servers.

Here’s what INC. says are critical components of a sound search for a Cloud computing services vendor:

There are literally scores of cloud computing vendors to choose from. Everyone from Google (Google App Engine) and Microsoft (Microsoft Azure) to Rackspace and Salesforce.com has a cloud computing service or platform. When setting out to choose a cloud provider, keep in mind that you need to analyze your choices on a few different levels.

• The product: Is the product easy to use? Does it provide your business what it needs? Will it help you better meet business goals?

• The provider: Is the provider a stable company with lots of other customers? Are those customers happy with the customer service? Is the provider well-funded and/or is it a possible acquisition target?

• The transition: Is the transition something that will be accomplished during your timetable? Do you understand what is involved and the possible interruptions to business during the transition?

Assemble a list of providers. You can gather this information from magazine and news sources. You can get referrals from other businesses or business or industry groups. You can look to IT research companies, such as Gartner, Forrester, and IDC. You can also hire outside consultants to help your company find the right fit in a cloud computing vendor. Once you have a list of prospective vendors, you need to gather answers to some fundamental questions involving availability, security, performance, and customer service.

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<h1>Cloud Computing Services are Gaining in Popularity</h1> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_Richard Milano.aspx'>Richard Milano</a> The hottest trend in business has now become a necessity: Cloud computing services. But when you choose to get on a “cloud” take caution: not all providers are equal.

For those individuals, simply put, cloud computing, or cloud services are services provided over the Internet or "cloud,” whereby a set of shared resources, as well as software and information are provided to computers and other devices on demand.   It’s like an online hub for computer services and offsite storage rolled into one, and it’s apparently making things a lot cheaper for a lot of companies.

What does it mean?  Basically it means that for example, if you now store all your company’s data on backup drive (we used to call them Zip drives in the 1990s), you have the option of paying someone, a company, to store that data for you, offsite, in a location that does essentially nothing but cloud computer services.  What are the advantages?  Many, say the experts.   Here are the top four according to Livelink:

1.Nearly zero startup costs -- while some computer is required to access the cloud, in theory at least a cloud-based application could be set and run from a smartphone and be able to meet virtually any load the Internet can throw at it. Contrast this with any hosted application which requires significant hardware & software purchases and installation.

2.Nearly zero administrative costs -- the system administration costs are rolled into the services provided, most importantly is that you as an application developer do not need to hire administrators nor rely on your own skills, it will be expertly taken care of for you.

3.Nearly zero wait time -- the "cloud" is there, always, and new applications can be started almost immediately (once the accounting has been taken care of). Pay up and you can start.

4.Nearly free advanced services: Fault tolerance, which is the ability to withstand hardware faults within the system without affecting the computer service(s) running; for stand-alone servers true fault tolerance comes at more than twice the cost of a similar service that is not fault tolerant.

5.The promise of cloud computing is that it can be like a ray of sunshine for a business that needs to increase information technology capacity or capabilities quickly without being bogged down by the expense of buying new infrastructure, licensing software, and training staff. These days, businesses can find a pot of savings at the end of the rainbow by paying for IT services -- including infrastructure, software, security, and even collaboration platforms -- on a subscription or a pay-per-usage basis.

However, according to INC magazine, when it comes to choosing a cloud computing vendor, there are thousands of options. And finding the right one can be as tricky as predicting the weather.

That means small and mid-sized businesses need to do some homework before plunging into a cloud computing agreement with a vendor.  Experts say there's a wide landscape of services out there, and, when selecting a vendor of computer services of any kind, including cloud and data storage services, it’s critical to elect services that mirror your currant IT infrastructure.  In other words: select the bells and whistles if you must, but be sure you need them.
 
The first question you need to answer is whether a cloud computing solution is right for your business. For many small and mid-sized businesses, or start-ups, managing computer systems and networks can distract from running other, more fundamental aspects of running a business.  Between computers that crash, software that needs to be upgraded, and morphing security risks from Internet connectivity, computer services and IT technology management are a full-time job. If you don't have an IT department or you don't have the resources to grow that department, it may make more sense to outsource some of your IT needs, which is why cloud computing is so appealing to a growing number of companies.

Cloud computing providers can often offer businesses lower prices for access to more sophisticated technology because you share those IT resources with other companies, thereby reducing the overhead costs to the vendor of licensing software or buying servers.

Here’s what INC. says are critical components of a sound search for a Cloud computing services vendor:

There are literally scores of cloud computing vendors to choose from.  Everyone from Google (Google App Engine) and Microsoft (Microsoft Azure) to Rackspace and Salesforce.com has a cloud computing service or platform. When setting out to choose a cloud provider, keep in mind that you need to analyze your choices on a few different levels.

•  The product: Is the product easy to use? Does it provide your business what it needs? Will it help you better meet business goals?

• The provider: Is the provider a stable company with lots of other customers? Are those customers happy with the customer service? Is the provider well-funded and/or is it a possible acquisition target?

• The transition: Is the transition something that will be accomplished during your timetable? Do you understand what is involved and the possible interruptions to business during the transition?

Assemble a list of providers. You can gather this information from magazine and news sources. You can get referrals from other businesses or business or industry groups. You can look to IT research companies, such as Gartner, Forrester, and IDC. You can also hire outside consultants to help your company find the right fit in a cloud computing vendor. Once you have a list of prospective vendors, you need to gather answers to some fundamental questions involving availability, security, performance, and customer service.About the Author: For more details please visit <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.877geeksonsite.com/">877geeksonsite.com</a> Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Cloud-Computing-Services-are-Gaining-in-Popularity_53220.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Cloud Computing Services are Gaining in Popularity_53220.aspx</a>

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