Cloud web hosting is being heralded as the next big thing in integrating technology into businesses processes. The promise is grand: telecommuting, collaboration and common functionality are all handled by a third party, minimizing the need for in-house specialists and maximizing return on IT expenses.
Just how does cloud web hosting pull all this off? What if you already have an extensive in-house network system? Is all of this worthwhile to a small business? These questions deserve serious consideration. The good news is, you might be surprised at how seamless switching to Cloud technology can be.
Cloud Web Hosting Versus Traditional Infrastructure
A small business has many utilities that they use without thinking about it too much. When they need electricity, water and gas, they call and have it turned on by a local provider. They pay for what they use. Traditionally, a local area network, Internet access, web hosting, intranet and virtual private networks could never be "piped in" in this way.
The IT department was always an expense. Web hosting, email servers, security software, and other necessary infrastructure elements often needed a full-time staff to maintain them. Failure in these services could bring the whole business to its knees. How does cloud technology provide an alternative?
Advantages of Cloud Technology
Cloud technology removes the need for an expensive IT department by providing your basic computing needs as an incoming utility, much like water or electricity. Your basic needs for email, file sharing, website hosting, conference calls, word processing and many other basic systems are all hosted in the "cloud" -- a dedicated, secure cluster of powerful computers that serve up these applications via the Internet.
Instead of having full time staff working on keeping your system up and running, you pay for how much you use the cloud systems. The highly-trained cloud computing administrators take care of security, upgrades and even customization.
Cloud web hosting security is always a concern when learning about cloud web hosting. Because data is stored remotely, there is always the possibility of a machine dying and data being lost. Worse, data that is accessible from anywhere on the Internet is vulnerable to being stolen. In addition, a cloud could be monitored remotely to track what actions a particular client performs. It may be scary putting your security and data in the hands of an outside resource, but cloud web hosting providers often have excellent service level agreements, minimal downtime, and well-trained staff. Cloud applications are ideal for salesmen, executives and other traveling team members since cloud-stored data is available anywhere that you go.
Cloud security is not without its benefits. Having remote physical control over the hardware limits the chances of local hardware being compromised. The diversity of the cloud ensures multiple redundant backups of data to protect against its loss. Private clouds are even more secure, because the number of people capable of accessing them is limited.
Clouds can actually be just as secure as a company network, if not more so. They can offer a great deal of encryption and protection without having a large number of personal weak links. As cloud computing grows more popular, issues will no doubt come up and be solved. For now, the largest security issue with cloud computing is building trust in the system.
Getting Started With Cloud Web Hosting
IT upgrades are costly headaches for many companies, but switching to cloud hosting services is easier than you might think. Some cloud services can be turned on with little or no modifications to your current network. No new computers or servers are necessary, just an Internet connection and a functioning computer will get you online with cloud technology.
Remote computing using the cloud has the potential to be the wave of the future. Providing computer service as a utility to be purchased rather than a local issue keeps users from having to constantly upgrade their systems. Storing data remotely removes the need for larger personal hard drives. In general, the cloud has a wide variety of benefits over traditional computing. The biggest drawback is that the technology is not yet fully adopted and has not come into its own.
Although several different definitions for the term "cloud web hosting" exist; there's an idea that is common to all business definitions and discussion of cloud web hosting: it provides an attainable way to increase IT capacity and functionality without the need of major risky investments.
Just how does cloud web hosting pull all this off? What if you already have an extensive in-house network system? Is all of this worthwhile to a small business? These questions deserve serious consideration. The good news is, you might be surprised at how seamless switching to Cloud technology can be.
Cloud Web Hosting Versus Traditional Infrastructure
A small business has many utilities that they use without thinking about it too much. When they need electricity, water and gas, they call and have it turned on by a local provider. They pay for what they use. Traditionally, a local area network, Internet access, web hosting, intranet and virtual private networks could never be "piped in" in this way.
The IT department was always an expense. Web hosting, email servers, security software, and other necessary infrastructure elements often needed a full-time staff to maintain them. Failure in these services could bring the whole business to its knees. How does cloud technology provide an alternative?
Advantages of Cloud Technology
Cloud technology removes the need for an expensive IT department by providing your basic computing needs as an incoming utility, much like water or electricity. Your basic needs for email, file sharing, website hosting, conference calls, word processing and many other basic systems are all hosted in the "cloud" -- a dedicated, secure cluster of powerful computers that serve up these applications via the Internet.
Instead of having full time staff working on keeping your system up and running, you pay for how much you use the cloud systems. The highly-trained cloud computing administrators take care of security, upgrades and even customization.
Cloud web hosting security is always a concern when learning about cloud web hosting. Because data is stored remotely, there is always the possibility of a machine dying and data being lost. Worse, data that is accessible from anywhere on the Internet is vulnerable to being stolen. In addition, a cloud could be monitored remotely to track what actions a particular client performs. It may be scary putting your security and data in the hands of an outside resource, but cloud web hosting providers often have excellent service level agreements, minimal downtime, and well-trained staff. Cloud applications are ideal for salesmen, executives and other traveling team members since cloud-stored data is available anywhere that you go.
Cloud security is not without its benefits. Having remote physical control over the hardware limits the chances of local hardware being compromised. The diversity of the cloud ensures multiple redundant backups of data to protect against its loss. Private clouds are even more secure, because the number of people capable of accessing them is limited.
Clouds can actually be just as secure as a company network, if not more so. They can offer a great deal of encryption and protection without having a large number of personal weak links. As cloud computing grows more popular, issues will no doubt come up and be solved. For now, the largest security issue with cloud computing is building trust in the system.
Getting Started With Cloud Web Hosting
IT upgrades are costly headaches for many companies, but switching to cloud hosting services is easier than you might think. Some cloud services can be turned on with little or no modifications to your current network. No new computers or servers are necessary, just an Internet connection and a functioning computer will get you online with cloud technology.
Remote computing using the cloud has the potential to be the wave of the future. Providing computer service as a utility to be purchased rather than a local issue keeps users from having to constantly upgrade their systems. Storing data remotely removes the need for larger personal hard drives. In general, the cloud has a wide variety of benefits over traditional computing. The biggest drawback is that the technology is not yet fully adopted and has not come into its own.
Although several different definitions for the term "cloud web hosting" exist; there's an idea that is common to all business definitions and discussion of cloud web hosting: it provides an attainable way to increase IT capacity and functionality without the need of major risky investments.