One truism that is valid all over the place nowadays is that space is at a premium. That can be for anything from parking on residential streets in the suburbs to the way major metro cities have no choice to be growing upwards rather than outwards. That is certainly macro level stuff, but if we’re going to look at it in the context of computing and data storage requirements it’s fair to say this is macro level too.
As the business (and personal) world shifts to be increasingly digital all the time there are ever-greater demands for data storage, and creating ever-more physical storage with massive data centers and the like was never going to be doable.
That reality is a big part of why there was the push to develop the solution that cloud computing eventually became. Anyone and everyone will know what cloud storage is nowadays, and most people will be using it in some way or another. Look no further than Google Docs or OneDrive for most of us, and the way businesses are taking advantage of cloud storage is definitely an instance where innovation is meeting BIG necessity.
Without it there simply wouldn’t be enough physical storage available for even half the need that business all over the world would be creating nowadays. This is something that we can certainly relate to here at 4GoodHosting as a good Canadian web hosting provider, as like any we have firsthand experience with the need to increase data center capacity and all the goes along with that.
We’re in the business of providing it through web hosting though, while nearly all other businesses will be in a situation where they need to be utilizing it. Cloud computing is there for that utilization, and a lot of work has gone into making it accessible to the extent it is. But now there are trends in cloud computing that are very much set to impact business operations, and that’s what we’re going to look at here with this week’s entry.
File Storage / Creation Foremost
Cloud computing has boomed over the last few years, with global spending on services reaching near 46 billion in the first financial quarter of 2022. A major survey found the increased use of cloud services primarily comes from storing and creating files and office documents and this is why so many businesses are looking to incorporate cloud storage technology into their operations.
These are the four primary trends being seen:
Hybrid & Multi-Cloud
No 2 systems are the same in the Cloud. There will be some that work best for a particular function or process but don’t cover every needs any one business may have. Often using more than one cloud system is the solution for this reason.
Hybrid and multi-cloud structures are increasingly well suited to meet this need. Multi-cloud means using different public services from several providers to cover what you need. They are not always easy to manage, but with them you can take the best parts of the top cloud solutions on the market and make a system that meets your needs. You’ll have increased options for customization and there’s also less chance you’ll be locked into one vendor.
The difference with a hybrid cloud setup is that they include a private cloud server managed on-site as part of the combination. You will be investing in and using a publicly available cloud server as well as building an in-house infrastructure and they will be designed to work in tandem for optimal application. Public cloud software does have the issue of data bottlenecks when large numbers of people using it at the same, but the cost savings it can offer are a big plus always.
Serverless Computing
Every business wants to get maximum value for every dollar they’re spending on operations. This is always true if you’re trusting another company with something as important as the servers that host your website. Companies that have built applications may require a server to host it, and spending a lot of money to make sure its infrastructure is secure is not uncommon. The fix can be serverless computing.
This method of backend service means that you’re only paying for that data you use, and this ups cost-effectiveness in a big way. The vendor handles the infrastructure of the servers is, so developers don’t have to worry about scaling too much and can put the majority of their focus on development.
Cloud Security
Few issues if any demand as much focus as Cyber security when it comes to the adoption of any new technology that may increase the risk of shortcomings with it. Businesses and even governments with any online presence or connection to the internet are nearly always at risk of being ‘hacked’ and having information stolen or accounts hijacked.
There has been a genuine focus on cloud security and real progress has been made in this area over the last few years. It has been advanced to the point that any potential damage to business is quite small when exposed to the inherent risks that come with storing data in the cloud. There is more available for companies in the way of training that includes how to identify and avoid potential threats or the inclusion of awareness messaging.
Automation
A key purpose of technology has always been to simplify and streamline processes where a lot of manual input is required. This automation can also be applied to cloud software, and when it is implemented to your servers this can mean that the infrastructure is adjusted automatically so that developers or engineers don’t have to devote any of their own time to doing it manually.
This is beneficial for the systems in several ways. Automation improves security by removing the human error of multiple engineers and IT technicians from the process of checking important systems that could be vulnerable to malicious activity when exposed on the Web. Updates and backups are also made significantly more efficient once they’re put in place and ideally automated, as they can carry out both functions without the need for human interaction.
