Cloud Computing — All You Need to Know

Cloud Computing

In this collection you'll learn

  • What are the advantages of migrating to the cloud
  • How to choose the best cloud provider for your specific needs
  • Which cloud migration tools you should use
  • How to create a comprehensive cloud migration strategy
  • How to maximize cloud cost savings

Benefits of cloud computing

Scalability:
Cloud services can be scaled up or down based on demand. This flexibility allows businesses to manage resources efficiently and handle varying workloads without needing expensive infrastructure investments during peak times.

Cost efficiency:
Cloud computing enables businesses to save on capital expenditures for hardware and software. With pay-as-you-go or subscription-based pricing models, companies only pay for what they actually use—turning large upfront costs into predictable operating expenses.

Accessibility and mobility:
Cloud computing provides access to applications and data from anywhere with an internet connection. This facilitates remote work and global collaboration, ensuring business continuity from virtually any location.

Disaster recovery and data backup:
The cloud offers robust solutions for data backup and disaster recovery. Data can be stored and replicated across multiple cloud-provider-managed locations, ensuring data security and fast recovery in case of data loss or system failure.

Automatic updates:
Cloud providers typically manage system updates and maintenance, including critical security patches. This reduces the workload on internal IT teams and ensures that businesses always run the latest, most secure software versions without added effort or costs.

Major cloud service providers

  • Amazon Web Services (AWS):
    One of the largest and most widely used cloud providers, AWS offers a vast array of services including computing power, storage, databases, machine learning, and more.
  • Microsoft Azure:
    Microsoft’s cloud platform provides a broad range of services including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).
  • Google Cloud Platform (GCP):
    Google’s cloud services include computing, storage, data analytics, machine learning, and various tools for developers and enterprises.
  • IBM Cloud:
    IBM offers cloud computing solutions including infrastructure, AI, blockchain, and analytics, tailored to businesses and industries.
  • Oracle Cloud:
    Oracle focuses on cloud infrastructure, business applications, and platform services with strengths in databases and enterprise solutions.

Scalability in cloud computing

What is scalability in cloud computing? One of the key advantages of cloud computing is the ability to easily adjust resources based on current demand. This leads to cost reduction, faster growth, and better responsiveness to market fluctuations.

How to achieve cloud scalability:

To make your business more scalable with cloud computing, the first step is migrating to the cloud—reliance on physical hardware can hinder growth. Choose the right cloud provider, as their scalability features vary. Improve performance by using vertical, horizontal, or diagonal scaling techniques. Consulting services can help develop a tailored scalability strategy, since there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Cloud computing for enterprises

Benefits of enterprise cloud computing:

Cloud platforms support large-scale business operations with high availability, security, compliance, and global reach. Enterprises can innovate faster, reduce IT overhead, and stay competitive by leveraging the flexibility and power of the cloud.

Benefits of enterprise cloud computing

Why companies migrate to the cloud

Companies primarily move to the cloud to enable faster growth. Cloud solutions allow them to serve more customers and scale traffic quickly without compromising quality—key for long-term success.

By switching to the cloud, businesses can avoid high upfront costs for purchasing and maintaining hardware and software. The enterprise cloud enables them to scale resources such as data storage, computing power, and the number of servers up or down as needed, based on real-time demands.

Common cloud computing services for enterprises

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

This service provides virtualized computing resources over the internet. IaaS is the most fundamental category of cloud computing services, offering core computing, networking, and storage capabilities on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Examples:

  • Amazon Web Services (AWS)
  • Microsoft Azure
  • Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS offers a platform that allows customers to develop, run, and manage applications without dealing with the complexity of building and maintaining the underlying infrastructure typically involved in launching an app.
Examples:

  • Google App Engine
  • Microsoft Azure App Services
  • Heroku

Software as a Service (SaaS)

SaaS delivers software applications over the internet on a subscription basis. Access is typically provided via a web browser, eliminating the need for installations, maintenance, or complex configuration.
Examples:

  • Microsoft Office 365
  • Salesforce
  • Slack

Cloud migration strategy

Why you need a cloud migration strategy

Developing a solid cloud migration strategy is essential for ensuring a smooth, secure, and cost-effective transition to the cloud. Key benefits include:

  • Improved risk management and disaster recovery: A strategy helps anticipate potential issues, define recovery plans, and ensure business continuity.
  • Predictable costs and timelines: Clear planning enables more accurate budgeting and scheduling, avoiding scope creep and unexpected expenses.
  • Structured implementation planning: It supports the creation of a detailed migration roadmap, including timelines, milestones, and responsibilities.
  • Alignment with business strategy: Migration is not just a technical task—it should support overall business goals, innovation, and digital transformation.
  • Reduction of staff shortages and skill gaps: Strategic planning helps identify internal skill gaps early and ensures that the right training, hiring, or outsourcing decisions are made.

Step-by-step plan for building a cloud migration strategy

Cloud migration strategy - 14 steps

How to maximize cloud cost savings

Optimizing cloud spending is essential for maintaining financial efficiency while leveraging the scalability and performance benefits of cloud platforms. Here are key strategies:

1. Right-size your resources

Analyze and select the appropriate size for your cloud resources to avoid overprovisioning. Most cloud providers offer a wide range of instance types and sizes. Choosing the ones that truly match your actual workload needs can lead to significant cost savings.

2. Use reserved instances or savings plans

Many cloud providers offer substantial discounts for Reserved Instances or Savings Plans compared to on-demand pricing. By committing to a specific usage level (in terms of time or capacity), you can benefit from lower rates and predictable billing.

3. Optimize storage costs

Storage can become a major cost driver, especially if poorly managed.
To reduce storage expenses:

  • Implement data retention and deletion policies
  • Use appropriate storage classes (e.g., infrequent access or archival storage)
  • Regularly review and clean up outdated or unnecessary data

4. Monitor and manage usage and costs

Use your cloud provider’s tools to continuously monitor usage and spending.

  • Identify and shut down idle or underutilized resources
  • Set up alerts for cost spikes or unusual activity
  • Use dashboards to track key metrics and trends

5. Implement autoscaling

Autoscaling ensures that you always have the right amount of resources to handle current demand. It not only improves performance under load but also prevents paying for unused capacity during off-peak times.

Best cloud migration tools

  • AWS Migration Services
  • Azure Migrate
  • Google Cloud Migrate
  • CloudEndure Migration
  • Carbonite Migrate