How Cloud Computing Can Improve Your Company’s Infrastructure

According to the Office of Energy Efficiency and and Renewable Energy, data centers are upgrading to new IT equipment every three to five years. The power density of a data center is 100 times more than a large commercial office building and is equivalent to nine small sized shopping malls of Wal-Mart size.

What’s more, data construction was projected to grow by 21 percent between 2014 and 2018. According to a 2011 survey, more than 38 percent of large companies are expected to exceed IT capacity within 18 months.

With more dependance on computing and technology when it comes to data center management, infrastructure support is crucial. One way to improve business and increase infrastructure support is through cloud computing.

Eighty two percent of companies reportedly saved money by moving to the cloud. Additionally, 25 percent of survey respondents said they would choose storage if they were able to move only one application to the cloud.

When it comes to cloud computing there are many advantages and disadvantages associated with it and it’s important to know both the pros and cons.

Advantages

• Cost effectiveness: cloud computing doesn’t require the purchasing of equipment or the building of a data center, so money is saved on hardware, facilities and upgrades.
• Better collaboration: rather than having to meet face to face, cloud computing allows people to share information easier with shared storage.
• Better environmental footprint: cloud computing means less reliance on data centers and less of an environmental impact. About 50 percent of the energy supplied to a typical data center is used in the cooling and power infrastructure and cloud computing improves infrastructure support while also helping the environment.
• Better mobility: cloud computing also means employees can take their data and work with them anywhere they go. With a variety of mediums such as cell phones and tablets, employees can work from anywhere and share information from anywhere.
• More with less: cloud computing reduces the need for the average data center, reducing the need for software, servers and staff while improving IT support and infrastructure support.

Disadvantages

• Costs: for small projects, companies might have to pay up for cloud computing. It may reduce some of the staff and physical needs, but companies should weigh the cost benefits before using it.
• Relying on the Internet: as helpful as cloud computing can be, cloud computing systems use the Internet. That means when the Internet is down, companies can’t access the files and data they’ve saved to the cloud. No Internet means a company slowdown and depending on how long it goes for, it might end up costing a company more money and time.
• Security: cloud computing makes things easier, but when it comes to protecting your privacy on the cloud, there is always a risk. There are have been many leaks of private information that was previously saved to a cloud service and companies must take care to find a cloud service that will keep their information safe.
• Vulnerability: since cloud systems are Internet based, nothing on the Internet is truly safe from attacks. Cloud systems are meant to be public services and that comes with the risk that someone can get ahold of private information.
• Dependency on platforms: certain companies or vendors might be locked in to one cloud service while your company is tied to another one. Re-configuring everything to do business can take time and might cost money to sort things out in order to make it work.

Cloud computing offers companies many opportunities to improve their infrastructure support, reduce their environmental footprint and eliminate dependency on physical tools such as data center infrastructure and high density cooling equipment. But cloud computing carries many advantages and disadvantages and it’s important for companies to take care in weighing the risk and benefits before making the switch.