Cloud computing is arguably the fastest growing trend in the IT and technology industries. By now, you likely know the benefits of the cloud and how your business could benefit from the switch, but there’s still a lot of confusion about how it works. If you still find yourself feeling a little bit confused, you’re not alone. To learn more about the cloud, how it works, and the different types of clouds, check out this article from Inc.com:
If the topic of cloud computing leaves you feeling a little confused, you’re not alone. There are countless ad campaigns selling ambiguous cloud solutions and scads of analyst reports telling us which software publishers have a leg up on the competition. It’s hard enough for those of us in the technology services industry to keep up with all the buzz, let alone for other business owners. But ready or not, your business inevitably will be impacted by the cloud, and understanding your options is half the battle. Let’s cut through the technical terms and clear up some of the confusion.
Understanding the Different Types of Clouds
In “technology years,” the cloud has been around for a long time. Flash back to the late 1990s when Marc Benioff launched Salesforce with a mission to “end software” by selling his customer relationship management (CRM) solution over the Internet. His Software as a Service (SaaS) model revolutionized the industry, and nearly 20 years later his message of cost savings and greater agility continues to have wide resonance. That’s also the root of some of the confusion though, because the market is now saturated with different types of cloud services. But today we are still using one word to describe the initial concept from two decades ago.
Let’s start with the fact that there are business applications in the cloud typically referred to as SaaS. You can also purchase the infrastructure that supports those applications in the cloud, which is typically referred to as IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). Two examples of IaaS are Microsoft’s Windows Azure (soon to be rebranded Microsoft Azure) and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Both SaaS and IaaS can be delivered in a public, private, or hybrid cloud. So how do you know which cloud is best for you?
To learn more about the different types of clouds and to read the article in its entirety, click here. To learn more about cloud computing, view the video and download Cloud Computing 101.
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