Top 10 Benefits of Cloud Computing

Today, the cloud transformation is in high gear. It has re-invented how applications are delivered, redefined how most businesses and individuals leverage compute power through “as-a-service” delivery of IT and is the underpinning for organizations that are embracing digitization and digital process transformation.  

Research from 2022 reveals 60 percent of all corporate data was stored in the cloud, 48 percent of businesses had put their most important data there and 94 percent of companies were using cloud services. Among the types of cloud offerings being used by businesses are:

• Software as a Service (SaaS): Most major software vendors now deliver their software through the cloud and customers purchase licences for the right to use it rather than outright owning copies. SaaS ensures the most up-to-date versions are available and, because software is hosted and accessible through the cloud, SaaS customers can access these applications from anywhere and on any device.
  
  
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Storage, servers and other “virtual” computing hardware are among the offerings delivered by IaaS cloud service providers. This computing capability is purchased in a utility fashion, where users pay a metered rate for as little or as much hardware computing resources as they require or consume. IaaS cloud service providers own and manage the customer-utilized IT hardware and provide access to it through public (internet), private network connections or a combination of both.
  
  
• Platform as a Service (PaaS): Application and systems developers look to PaaS cloud service providers for development environments that allow them to build and test. These “hosted” resources offer a cost-effective alternative to the traditional approach of creating and managing an in-house application and system development test bed. PaaS providers offer the advantages of greater accessibility to development resources and the ability to scale these testing environments as required. PaaS includes servers, network, storage, operating systems and databases.

As companies look to acquire new computing capabilities and/or to get out from under ownership and in-house management of IT equipment and applications, today’s cloud offers many benefits and advantages. Among the most compelling are:

Cost certainty and savings

Cloud service providers charge monthly recurring fees for their offerings and turn IT into a much more predictable expense. Because there’s no cost of equipment or software ownership for customers that use cloud, there’s also no potential for runaway in-house costs due to unexpected or unanticipated circumstances. The cloud eliminates the expense of in-house IT management and other significant costs such as electrical power consumption for the operation and cooling of high-end IT equipment.  

Rapid IT deployment

Typical in-house installation and deployment of software and hardware can take weeks or months and usually requires IT expertise to perform the work. IT provisioning in the cloud sees rapid and hassle-free deployment thanks to preconfigured applications and systems that make it much easier for customers to get started. And cloud providers have the IT expertise on staff that many organizations simply cannot afford.

No capital investment required

Not so long ago, budgeting for new IT systems and software or to refresh aging technology was a matter of allocating funds over many years. Sourcing IT through the cloud requires no ownership and eliminates the need for capital budget allocations.  

Pay as you grow

Need to expand your IT capacity to accommodate new users, bring in greater functionality or additional capacity? With cloud computing services, an organization simply purchases the additional technology resources required. Conversely, if capacity and resources are no longer needed then a business can reduce or eliminate IT application licences, unused functions or systems.

Technology democratization

Back in the days when owning and managing IT were the only computing options available, high-performance systems and software were unaffordable to smaller businesses. The cost of expertise to install, integrate and manage IT put technology investment even further out of reach for many. But today’s cloud service providers offer high-performance technologies at a much more affordable price through economies of scale achieved by serving many different customers and addressing a wide range of IT workloads.  

Built in cybersecurity

Cloud service providers can typically offer a far more secure environment for many IT applications and systems compared to what most average businesses can create themselves. Cloud providers deliver 24/7 ongoing network and computing resource monitoring and typically use automated responses and action to isolate and block perceived cybersecurity threats. Cloud data centres feature state-of-the-art security technologies and highly skilled IT security professionals. Conversely, a smaller organization might struggle to have even basic security event management or security orchestration through automation and response.  

Access anywhere/anytime

Among the most compelling aspects of computing in the cloud is a shift away from enterprise data centres being the focal point for computing capability and removing the constraints of locked away IT resources. Access to IT through secured public cloud-delivered services support computing from any connected location and through any secured device. Such convenience and flexibility are highly appealing to organizations that need always-on, anywhere remote access for their workers.

Latest and greatest resources

As has been previously mentioned, there’s no need to ever upgrade or replace hardware and software when a cloud service provider delivers all of your IT applications, systems and processes. They own the equipment and resources.

Maintenance- and management-free IT

Research shows 60 percent of the lifecycle costs of software systems come from maintenance. Other significant expenses related to IT systems and software can include design, development, deployment and integrations. In addition, there’s the ongoing day-to-day costs of monitoring, management and system/user support. It all adds up to significant additional expenses for in-house technology assets. Cloud providers take ownership of these management and support tasks in the delivery of IT as a service to customers.

Backup and restore/disaster recovery

Most cloud service providers have a range of data protection offerings to ensure things don’t get lost or disappear when a disaster strikes. Remote backup services in the cloud can be real time, ensuring little if any gap exists between the time of a system failure and the most recent and available backup. Cloud backup and restore is a lower-cost capability that can be scaled to address the scope and volume that an organization may require.

Looking to leverage the power of the cloud for your business workloads? Check out CDW’s comprehensive cloud managed services for AWS and Azure, backed by more than 20 years of managed services support experience. CDW’s AWS- and Azure-certified architects, consultants and engineers help with deployment, configuration, installation and day-to-day management of cloud solutions. They work closely with your organization to help you build an end-to-end cloud management strategy.