Cloud Computing Technologies: Benefits, Trends, and Future

Introduction to Cloud Computing

Cloud computing has emerged as one of the leading paradigms for hosting and delivering services over the Internet. The emergence of cloud computing is attributable to the rapid development of processing and storage technologies. Cloud computing is a technology in which resources are treated as general utilities that can be delivered through the Internet on an on-demand basis. However, despite its potential capabilities and benefits, cloud computing is still in its infancy because of the numerous issues that have yet to be addressed.

As a result of these emerging issues, the future of cloud technologies has become a significant concern to IT professionals. These professionals have attempted to determine the future of cloud computing based on its current issues, potential benefits, and areas for improvement. In light of recent trends, there are speculations that the future of cloud computing lies in multi-cloud strategies and abstract virtual infrastructure. This paper discusses cloud computing technologies as a mechanism for improving business operations, covering an overview of the technology, its benefits, and recent trends, followed by speculation about its future and its implications for client purchase recommendations.

Overview of Cloud Computing Technologies

Cloud computing technologies are new mechanisms for hosting and delivering services through the Internet (Zhang, Cheng & Boutaba, 2010). This new paradigm has become attractive to many businesses because it eliminates the need for users to engage in advance planning for provisioning. Additionally, cloud computing has gained significant traction in recent years because of its capability to enable businesses to scale resources on an on-demand basis, regardless of enterprise size. Cloud computing technologies emerged partly because computer resources are increasingly becoming cheaper, more available, and more powerful. However, cloud computing is not necessarily a new technology; rather, it represents a new operational model through which different existing technologies are brought together to transform business operations.

Since cloud computing is not entirely new, there are different perceptions of it, which has contributed to various definitions. One definition describes cloud computing as a model that allows convenient, on-demand network access to a wide pool of configurable computing resources that can be easily provisioned and released (Zhang, Cheng & Boutaba, 2010). Cloud computing is also defined as a new computing model in which computer resources are treated as general utilities that can be provisioned and released by users via the Internet on an on-demand basis. In this regard, computer resources provided as general utilities include storage and CPU. Despite these varying definitions, the basic understanding of cloud computing is that it is a computing model involving the hosting and delivery of services via the Internet.

Cloud computing is linked to several related technologies, including grid computing, utility computing, autonomic computing, and virtualization (Shawish & Salama, 2014). Grid computing is defined as a distributed computing paradigm that organizes networked resources to achieve a computational objective. Utility computing refers to the model of offering resources on an on-demand basis and charging customers based on usage rather than a flat rate. Virtualization offers virtualized resources for high-level applications by abstracting physical hardware details, while autonomic computing focuses on enhancing self-management capabilities.

Cloud computing operates by dividing the conventional role of a service provider into two distinct roles: infrastructure provider and service provider. The infrastructure provider manages cloud platforms and leases the required computer resources through a usage-based pricing model rather than a flat-rate model. Service providers, in turn, lease resources from one or several cloud infrastructure providers and make them available to serve end users. During this process, cloud computing leverages its related technologies to meet the technological and economic requirements of modern IT demands.

Benefits of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing technologies are increasingly being adopted by business enterprises because of their potential to enhance business operations. According to Pooja and Pandey (2014), cloud computing technologies offer numerous benefits including a pay-per-use facility, on-demand service, multi-tenancy, and device and location independence. In light of these benefits, cloud computing technologies have had a significant impact on the information technology sector. This impact is evident in the increased development and adoption of these technologies by large companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, which are striving to offer more potent, reliable, and cost-effective cloud platforms (Zhang, Cheng & Boutaba, 2010). The increased adoption of cloud computing technologies reflects business enterprises' efforts to transform their operational models in order to maximize the benefits these technologies provide.

Through its pay-per-use model, cloud computing is an attractive option for businesses because there are no up-front investments required. Computer resources are rented from the cloud based on need, and payments are made based on usage — unlike other technologies that require up-front investments through flat-rate pricing. Given this usage-based pricing model, cloud computing technologies are associated with lower operating costs. Lower costs are also attributable to the fact that resources in these technologies can be easily allocated and de-allocated as needed. Additionally, cloud computing technologies are highly scalable: providers of cloud infrastructure offer large amounts of computer resources from data centers and make them readily available to users. Other benefits include easy access, since services hosted in the cloud are generally Internet-based, as well as a reduction in business risks and a decrease in expenses associated with technology maintenance.

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