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Supporto Messoanuovo
08 Mar, 2022

Cloud. What it is, what it is used for, how it works, advantages

On everyone's lips, the Cloud truly seems like the future of computing at both a business and consumer level.

But what really is the Cloud? What does this term mean and what exactly does the Cloud or "Cloud Computing" consist of?

Let's find out.

Meaning of Cloud

Literally the English translation of this term means "cloud" (an icon used in the logos of many of the companies that provide this service). An apt term, given that the purpose of the cloud is to allow us to have the necessary data and information always at hand . Guaranteed availability even when the applications are not physically in our possession.

Like a cloud in the sky, information follows us, lightly but ready to be used.

The cloud is not only a "storage" of data, but also the possibility of accessing services, processing capacity and much more.

Cloud

Cloud functions and services

The usefulness of the services provided by the Cloud becomes indispensable when one or more of these conditions occur or are needed:

need to transfer heavy files;

desire to be able to access files from different devices, including mobile ones;

back-up of data and information;

need to work in a shared manner;

need to use services and features without having to make a purchase.

Relying on a Cloud service is therefore an excellent way to simplify your work, thanks to the always updated backup copy of the files and the possibility of reaching them from any device.

Types of Cloud Computing for companies

We often consider Cloud Computing as a single option for saving our files, but it is much more, for a platform that can be divided into at least three different services. The potential of the Cloud in fact allows individuals and small companies to take advantage of services and potential that they could never implement within their structures.

At a company level, there are three different types of Cloud:

IaaS , (Infrastructure-as-a-Service): infrastructure model provided as a service, this remote structure is used to exploit computing and storage services. The IaaS solution allows companies and start-ups to rent the services and computing power of an IT infrastructure (virtual machines, servers, processing and storage resources based on consumption. The advantage is evident and consists above all in allowing medium/small businesses to have access to computing capacity at a punctual price and only for the time necessary.

PaaS , (Platform-as-a-Service): in this model, the platform is provided as a service. What is therefore provided is a space and the related tools necessary for the creation and management of a Web application. The advantage of this solution is that it provides a ready-to-use environment, thus allowing the programmer and company involved to concentrate their efforts on the project and not on the structure underlying it.

SaaS , (Software-as-a-Service), model used for all web-based applications. This model is used when the goal is to distribute software and applications via the Internet. Not a simple download process, but the use of the software directly from the Cloud to use it via the various devices connected to the cloud itself.

But is it safe?

The Cloud and the applications connected to it are no less secure than what we normally use every day. We often consider it differently, but sending our data to platforms that are "not ours" is in fact an operation that we already perform on a daily basis. Every time we use email or a social network, we are putting information on a private space that is ours, but at the same time is not physically in our possession.

The Cloud system is based on a very strong concept of security, given that any problems would undermine the entire infrastructure. It therefore follows that, as with many web applications, the party most at risk is that of the user who logs in, who could lose or forget their login data.

Costs and possibilities

As with many other online applications, many Cloud services are free up to certain volumes, and then become paid with monthly fees calibrated to the necessary size.

Some of the most renowned and used Cloud services in Italy are:

Dropbox (2GB);

Amazon Cloud Drive (5 GB);

iCloud (5 GB, dedicated to Apple devices);

Google Drive (15GB);

Mega (50GB);

Degoo (100GB);

iDrive (5GB);

pCloud (10Gb);

Box (10Gb)

All these services, in their free version, have various limitations, ranging from the size of the single file to their organization, up to the possibility of sharing. For an average user, subscribing to one or more services, even in its free version, is still sufficient for the basic functions (back-up and sharing).

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Principle of operation

Many services, which all work more or less the same way. In fact, the Cloud platform does nothing more than synchronize your files online. Many of these services also have applications for PC or mobile , through which you can create folders that will be monitored by the cloud service and kept synchronized on the web and on the various platforms.

Advantages for private individuals

The advantages of a service of this type are evident. Using a Cloud service allows you to obtain at the same time:

a safe place immune to hardware failures in which to store your back-ups;

an exchange platform to be used for sharing "heavy" files that cannot be sent via email;

a location to save files that you want to access from different devices and locations.

To conclude

The link between the various devices and services we use in our daily lives, cloud storage is a perfect and ideal solution for any private or business user.

The cloud is also a perfect solution for companies, especially small to medium-sized ones, innovative ones and start-ups. The availability of computing systems, platforms ready to work on and storage spaces at minimal costs and zero maintenance allows even the smallest companies to access an infrastructure that would otherwise be out of budget.

Loved by "digital nomads", the cloud, as indicated by its Italian terminology, is a solution, physically disconnected from their devices, but always reachable from them.