Do you want to launch your online business, but are not ready to spend a ton of money on servers and databases? Cloud technologies come to your aid! Let's figure out what it is and what problems they solve.

Cloud technologies: understanding the essence

Virtual clouds provide access to remote resources and services for users around the world. Why buy expensive servers and maintain them if you can rent everything you need from providers? Modern cloud solutions replace individual servers and even entire data centers.

What is included in cloud technologies

Cloud technologies include everything that works online: from file storage to document editors. They are ready to use immediately after connection, without unnecessary settings.

Cloud technologies for business

For the corporate sector, cloud technologies require additional configuration and integration with existing systems. This is a task for IT specialists.

Brief history of development

In the 60s, when the first computers appeared, each user demanded his own machine. The solution was the idea of a shared server. In the 90s, with the spread of the Internet, clouds became an integral part of the online world.

The era of cloud technology

In 2006, the first cloud platforms appeared that provided access to computing power. Later, Microsoft and Google offered their own cloud infrastructures.

Types of cloud technologies

Cloud technologies are divided into two categories: by the capabilities they provide and by how they are used by clients.

As you can see, cloud technology is more than just storing data online. They are the engine of the modern online world, providing endless opportunities to develop and grow your business.

Microsoft Azure: A Leading Player's View of the Cloud, is more than just a cloud service. Let's look at what it is and what problems it solves.

PaaS: Platform for your success

The acronym PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. This is a virtual environment designed for developing, testing and managing services. For example, Amazon Simple Queue Service managed message queues provide ordered data storage. Also included in this category is managed Kubernetes, which provides tools for managing containers.

SaaS: Software without the hassle

With SaaS, customers gain access to software supported by the cloud provider. They pay a subscription and receive a license for a certain period. For example, this is how Google email or SAP's CRM system works.

Other types of cloud solutions

In addition to PaaS and SaaS, there are two more types of cloud services:

BaaS: Backup as a Service

BaaS provides services for automatically creating backup copies to restore data after damage or hacking. For example, AWS Backup.

DRaaS: Disaster Recovery

DRaaS helps restore data and infrastructure after a disaster. Example - VMware Site Recovery.

Different types of cloud services

Cloud services are divided into several types depending on how the client uses them:

Private cloud

• This is an infrastructure that only one company uses. Example - IBM Cloud Pak.

Public cloud

• The provider rents out its infrastructure.

Hybrid cloud

• Some of the infrastructure is publicly available, while some remains private. Example - Azure.

Advantages of cloud technologies: why they are so in demand

1. Unlimited resources: Access to powerful servers, data centers and databases.

2. Savings: They work on a Pay-as-You-Go model, customers only pay for what they use.

3. Adjustable scale: Ability to increase storage or network capacity without breaking the bank.

4. Reliability and security: Advanced encryption methods and regularly updated cybersecurity policies.

5. Universal solutions: A wide range of services suitable for both startups and large corporations.

6. Safe launch of new products: The ability to quickly launch an online store or online portal without overloading the IT infrastructure.

7. No System Administrator: Easy to connect and use with no setup or support required.

All these advantages make cloud technologies popular and indispensable in the modern world.

Limits and Challenges of Cloud Technologies

1. Using cloud services is not always optimal. Some companies, such as power plants or defense plants, cannot operate online due to security requirements.

2. For uninterrupted access to cloud services, you need a stable and high-speed Internet.

Cloud Technologies: Where They Are Used

Cloud services are widely used in everyday life, including checking email, storing photos and videos, and watching movies online. In business, cloud technologies are used mainly in the development of IT systems and software, as well as in the Internet of things.

Development of IT systems and software

Software Development and Launch: Cloud solutions such as DigitalOcean or Microsoft Azure allow companies to develop and launch their online services and mobile applications without having to download everything onto their computer.

Virtual Machine: Cloud solutions provide virtual machines with customizable specifications, such as Windows Server on Azure or AWS Cloud Server.

Cloud Storage Technologies

Companies can rent cloud databases or storage, such as Amazon RDS or Azure Storage, to store data and automatically expand storage as needed.

CRM and Server Solutions

CRM systems such as Zendesk or amoCRM, as well as server solutions such as Windows Server on Azure or AWS Cloud Server, are other examples of popular cloud technologies in business.

Serverless Computing and Data Analytics

Serverless computing such as AWS Lambda or Azure Functions, as well as data analytics using cloud services such as Google Cloud AI, allow companies to efficiently process data and develop their business processes.

Internet of Things

Cloud technologies also play an important role in the development of the Internet of Things, allowing smart devices and systems to communicate, collect data and manage them without expensive hardware and software. An example of this use case is AWS IoT.

Trends in Cloud Technology Development

The emergence of a larger number of ready-made solutions within IaaS and PaaS, for example, the launch of a ready-made online store on 1C-Bitrix.

There is growing interest in cloud technologies in science and medicine, where they are used for large-scale computing and processing of large volumes of data, for example, in laboratories during the pandemic.

New Trends in the World of Cloud Technologies

In business, there is an increase in the popularity of hybrid and multi-cloud approaches, where companies use the resources of several cloud providers. At the same time, for critical databases, companies prefer to store them on their own servers.

There is growing interest in serverless clouds, which allow users to run programs and websites in the cloud without being tied to a specific server.

Cloud providers pay great attention to cybersecurity, providing information encryption, distributed access and automatic data backup services.

There is also a trend towards responsible energy consumption. Cloud providers are launching data centers powered by renewable resources to reduce their carbon footprint due to huge energy costs.

Automatic Scaling and Learning

In the past, website updates occurred once a week or even a month, but thanks to cloud services this happens automatically and as needed.

Start learning Cloud Technologies

Cloud service engineers develop cloud solutions that companies use to run their services. Within companies with cloud solutions, there are DevOps specialists, cloud system administrators who are responsible for the implementation, configuration and support of cloud solutions, and are also partially involved in the development of cloud-based code.

To get acquainted with the work of cloud services, you can use demo versions of cloud services from popular providers such as AWS or Microsoft Azure. Tutorials on providers’ websites, videos on YouTube and articles on thematic portals, for example, on Habr, will help with this.

To gain a deeper understanding of the principles of cloud technologies and the development of cloud solutions, knowledge of Python and basic development principles will be required. These skills can be learned independently or through special courses.