Cloud computing represents a dynamically scaled way of access to the external computing resources in the form of the service provided by means of the Internet. Special knowledge of the infrastructure of “clouding” or skills of management by this “clouding” technology is not required to the user.
“Clouding” is meant not the Internet but all the set of the hardware and software which provides processing and executing of the clients’ demands “from the other side”. Even the simplest action by means of the Internet – an inquiry of a website, to some extent, represents an example of cloud computing. The Internet, in fact, was also created to provide a remote access to various computing resources.
Possibilities of the Cloud Computing
Reduction of Expenses
Using the cloud computing model allows reducing both investments and monthly expenses of the enterprise on IT. The efficiency increase of the enterprise occurs at the expense of the use of modern technologies and equipment which automate processes of the company and allow using its resources optimum.
Self-service
“The first step on using fast IT is self-service from the catalog of standard services and package deals”. The catalog of services creates a self-service model, allowing users to choose necessary services via a standardized, functional interface.
Flexibility
One of the main advantages of cloud computing is a payment possibility only for those resources and possibilities which the company uses at present, unlike a traditional model which demands a single big investment in the equipment and software.
Speed
The automation and standardization of processes and services of the company allows increasing flexibility and efficiency of IT of the enterprise. The self-service catalog standardizes and automates the operations demanded for the expansion, support, and response to the emergency situations and failures, allowing increasing the speed of the demanded operations.
Scalability
As the cloud computing is the following stage of the development of virtualization technologies, they inherit their best qualities. A random access memory, a place, and a volume of a disk space are increased quickly and easily.
Fault Tolerance
Technologies allow to carry out automatically a complete control of service operability and undertake necessary actions in case of its failure.
Users of the Cloud Computing
Scientists consider the question of necessity to use the cloud computing for the organization consisting of 10-20 people who are sitting in one office or not having an office at all. GoogleDocs and other appendices, providing a free collaboration, can quite be suitable for them. As to a medium and big business, the cloud computing is indispensable in the 21st century.
For example, Netflix is an American company, a supplier of technologies for work with a multimedia. The company initially created a developed Internet portal, but at the beginning, it was engaged in hiring video films on DVD disks, using a model of DVD business by mail only in the territory of the USA. Since 1999, the company has started to create the Video on Demand Internet service, gradually developing business on hiring digital video films on the Internet, using a multimedia technology and Amazon cloud computing.
Cloudy services will be included into people’s life gradually, becoming habitual, for example, online mail and mobile Internet. It does not mean that all information systems will pass to the cloud computing, most likely, for a long time, there will still be a symbiosis of traditional and cloudy models, providing the best reliability, productivity, and efficiency.
