Beginners Guide to the Cloud
The cloud is something of a mystery for many people. However, once you learn the basics of it, it can be the key to an even more successful business. There’s also the option of broker services or cloud consultants. These companies can either walk you through the process of setting things up and using the cloud yourself, or they can run it for you.
What is it?
The cloud is a phrase that refers to any service that allows you to store and access files via the internet rather than a specific device. Some examples of a cloud are Google Drive, Microsoft Office 365 and the like. It allows you to access files from virtually anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection.
How is it used?
There are a few types of clouds: public, private and hybrid. Most companies(60%) use a public cloud service, though the private cloud is in close competition, with 57%. 19% are using hybrid cloud services. Almost 60% of companies say that hey use the cloud for storage to improve integration of development and operations. 59% say they use cloud services in order to share data from different applications across applications. Many businesses, especially if they are new,will employ cloud consultants as a helping hand as well.
Why do businesses use it?
It’s partially due to the fact that cloud usage is becoming more widespread among businesses. Around 35% of IT services are delivered at least partially by cloud today. However, when asked what was the most important in cloud services to them, companies also cited reliability (43%), cost (28%), ability to integrate with their existing programs (27%).
What other reasons are there for companies to consider the cloud?
Taking a look at the statistics behind the industry provides many more reasons to consider the cloud. For example, the future of cloud-based security is already being shaped by a growing service demand, and the market is predicted to reach around $8.71 billion by 2019. This stems from the fact that about 80% of companies are in the process of creating a governance policy on cloud usage or they plan to. Another angle to take is the fact that cloud usage is a growing trend. 48% of responding companies say they will be adopting hybrid systems soon, while 52% have updated or will soon update their existing cloud services. There are also about 49% of companies who are training and developing their own IT talent, and will be increasing their investment in the cloud. The government is planning on a 30% decrease in data center expenditure thanks to using cloud computing services as well. Lastly, the global market for cloud equipment is going to reach an estimated $79.1 billion by 2018.
So what do you think? Will you be investing in the cloud? Will you be using cloud consultants or cloud broker services? Let us know!