Cloud Computing:  Technology developments have leveled the playing field for your business

You may not realize how often you utilize Cloud Computing services. The last time you typed a search into Google or checked your email at HotMail, you were “in the cloud”.

This means that the services you interacted with are supported by many computers over a vast network. Imagine a beach ball being tossed around in a stadium full of people. As the ball bounces around it is held up my many different hands, but not reliant upon any one hand in particular. As long as there is a crowd of people underneath the ball, it will continue to bounce along. Applications and services that function in “The Cloud” work under the same principal. Any one computer, or other network equipment, can be removed without affecting the accessibility of the service.

Several recent technology developments have made this model effective and accessible.

1. Internet access and speed have reached the tipping point. Gone are the days of dial-up and isolated networks. Broadband is as vital to businesses as are telephones and electricity. Most of our clients already have the connectivity they need.
2. Connecting many computers together to form a greater whole, sometimes called Grid Computing, used to be expensive, tedious, and marginally effective. Companies such as Cisco, EMC and Google have resolved this problem.
3. Firms like VMware have introduced a technology called Virtualization. Virtualization not only pools computing resources and allocates them where needed, it keeps applications running on the same resources from interfering with each other.

So what does this mean for your business? Think again about the beach ball. Imagine your network being supported by thousands of computers – not limited to the operation of any one in particular.

Your business can now utilize Cloud Computing to:

• Access highly available applications at a lower cost than historically possible. Software As A Service (SAAS) companies like Salesforce provide CRM, accounting and other business software online. Please note that Internet based software is typically best suited to companies that aren’t interested in customizing or integrating their applications.
• Rent data storage and computing power by the month or even by the second.  Utility computing companies such as Amazon provide this service, which is often leveraged for stress testing new systems or for one time processing of large databases.
• Create scalable, highly reliable server and networking equipment systems. Companies like Rackspace provide this service, which is typically best suited to companies who know what server set up they want and who have enough time and knowledge to manage their service.
• Develop disaster preparedness solutions at a significantly lower cost than historically possible.

Note: Co-location is not the same as Cloud Computing. Co-location is simply leasing or placing dedicated servers at a datacenter and skips the core element that makes Cloud Computing so powerful, which is sharing computing resources.

Is it time for your business to take advantage of Cloud Computing? Do you want the design, implementation and management of your Cloud Computing services handled by experts? Let Xantrion’s complimentary I.T. assessment process take a look at your unique circumstances and formulate a customized technology plan.