Page 56 - Cloud Computing (Elective – III)

Advantages of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing offers a host of benefits to business as well as individual users
including:

 Flexibility:
Usually, it is offered on a subscription-basis which lets users decide the
number of resources to be used without worrying about installing or
managing a software or managing the hardware resources. The vendor
offering cloud data storage service is responsible for managing the remote
infrastructure and users pay for only how much and for what amount of
time they utilize the resources.

 Economies of scale:
It is self-evident that end users of cloud data storage service do not have to
worry about burning physical resources and managing them even when not
in use. Cloud computing capabilities help reduce the need for extensive
physical infrastructure and manpower along with the time and resources
needed to maintain them, resulting in an enhanced operational efficiency
of an organization. This helps an organization achieve economies of scale
by reducing the overall cost incurred on every product or every unit of
output as compared to traditional methods.

 Easier Collaboration:
Cloud-enabled product or project development allows team members to
collaborate more efficiently and share their inputs in real-time, thus
reducing time spent on views and reviews on certain aspects of product
design or process. Greater visibility, collaboration, and instant file sharing
are only some of the benefits accorded to users. Shared online storage and
the ability to access the resources from almost anywhere at any time lets
users make the most of available resources in a real sense.

 Enhanced Security:

Data protection is a million-dollar question for individual users as well as
small and big firms of all kind. Although some might have some security
concerns, considering the physical resources are managed by the vendor
and thus potentially data could be compromised. However, adequate
measures are taken while providing cloud-based access to any kind of
software or hardware resources so that no data loss occurs and even more
importantly, data security is not compromised. Users are in complete
control of the data stored on their shared storage and this is why big
corporations are finding it rather easy to rely on cloud-based infrastructure.