Cloud computing: How it Works

Cloud computing is a technology that provides on-demand access to a variety of computing resources over an internet connection from anywhere, anytime. Cloud computing resources include servers, storage, and applications. This technology is available to everyone in the world. Some cloud computing services are free while others are paid for. All you need to use cloud-computing services is knowledge of how to use the services and ability to pay for paid services. There are three classes of this technology including public, private, and hybrid. Public cloud services can be accessed by anyone while private cloud technology is restricted to a specific organization or group of people. Hybrid clouds are private clouds that have the same features as public clouds, but are limited to particular individuals or organizations. An example of cloud computing is web mail that allows you to access your emails from any computer provided there is an internet connection.

How it Works
Cloud computing consists of two components; the service end and the user end.
• Service end
This is made up of thousands of servers that store data, information, and applications for users. The servers work together as a single entity, which increases the computing power of the cloud. They are set up and maintained by the service provider who then offers the services to clients at a fee.

• User end
These are the organizations and individuals who use the services provided by the cloud. The users pay the required price after which they are given access to the cloud services over an internet connection. Some of the services may be accessed through a computer browser while others can only be accessed via applications.

Business Uses
The use of cloud computing technology is gaining popularity in business circles. There are several categories of business cloud computing services including, SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS. SaaS allows users to access and use cloud based applications. PaaS enables users to build and access web-based applications while IaaS provides servers, networking, and storage resources. One of the benefits of cloud computing services is that they allow users to access services on demand, which saves them time. They are also cheaper than individual business servers.

Consumer Uses
People use cloud computing to store data and information. Users can access their emails, social media data, and various applications on the cloud. For example, individuals can use adobe creative cloud storage to create, view, and share files on the cloud.