27 Sep How Cloud Computing Can Drive Business Innovation – Even In Harrisburg And Mechanicsburg!
By Sam Coyl, President/CEO, Netrepid
I was recently asked to provide some anecdotes and examples of how cloud computing can drive business innovation. Since this is something we see happening every day in our offices and with the potential customers (whether they are seeking cloud computing in Mechanicsburg or Motown) we meet on a weekly basis, I decided to take a second and share my insights here on the blog.
Thank you for reading along.
If you have any additional insights to share, please do in the comments below. I look forward to reading them.
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Has Cloud Computing Changed In The Last Several Years?
Yes it has – but there are things to understand before simply saying, “yes, cloud computing has changed.” It is first important to understand the difference between hosting services and the cloud. Hosting simply means that the technology (server, application, etc) is running in a provider’s environment. VPS hosting, Exchange hosting for email, and website hosting are all examples of this. Cloud computing refers to the ability to dynamically create, adjust, and move these technologies around.
The ability to automatically provision everything from Hosted Exchange mailboxes to a virtual Windows 2012 server to backup storage is what has really propelled the technology and created what we now refer to as Cloud Computing.
What Type Of Companies Are Using Cloud Computing To Be Innovative?
Companies of all sizes are using cloud computing. There are a variety of needs that it can solve because of its dynamic nature. Essentially, cloud computing is an inexpensive way to offload processing and storage. Cloud Computing creates the ability to eliminate capital expenses and leverage an operational expense model that can expand and contract based on business needs.
Can Cloud Computing Help Companies Make Money? Save Money?
Eliminating the expensive needs for capital expenses and additional manpower to create and run a local environment frees money for more business focused needs and expenses. It also greatly shortens the time to deployment from weeks to hours (if not MINUTES). The faster the technology is running – the faster it is being used to generate revenue.
There are a myriad of cost savings associated with cloud computing, too. Most companies don’t invest in the redundancy they truly need and want because it is simply too costly. Cloud Computing eliminates that burden. The redundancy in hardware is built in. Cloud Computing allows for servers to be deployed as they are needed without any changes in architecture. Many of the forgotten costs such as electricity, cooling, network ports, and spare hard drives are all but eliminated. The size and talent of the local staff is also reduced since onsite employees don’t need to manage the hardware or hypervisor environment.
What Technologies Are Driving Cloud Computing Innovation For Business?
We have seen a return to the centralized processing model. Published apps and web interfaces have been a huge driver for innovation, as has the need to leverage bigger and faster processing engines. This has placed more focus on the functionality of applications, ease of use, integration, and dynamic functionality. Smaller companies, as well as larger ones, can deploy the environments they need as they need them. This pay as you go model has given way to more seamless innovation and technology integration.
How Do You Think Cloud Computing Will Drive Innovation In The Next Ten Years?
The future of cloud computing is evident with the trends you are seeing in todays PCs and mobile devices. More and more of the applications aren’t even running on the device anymore. There is a app or website that the users goes to in order to use the application and access data. More and more of the data will be stored in the cloud rather than on local devices. Users don’t have just one device anymore and they want to access all their data from any point and place. This will become more and more prevalent as time goes on and the mobile devices get smaller and more numerous.
How do YOU think cloud computing drives innovation in business? Please leave your comments below.
