Cloud Computing is a service that delivers computing resources over a network connection, usually the internet. Cloud computing delivers three types of computing resources, namely hardware, software, and software development framework.
In the simplest terms, cloud computing means storing and accessing data and programs over the Internet instead of your computer’s hard drive.
Today most of the studies in cloud computing is related to commercial benefits. In the developing countries like India, Cloud computing can bring about a revolution in the field of low-cost computing with greater efficiency, availability and reliability. Cloud computing can also be applied to the development of rural life in India.
The cloud computing service sector has become a rapidly growing multibillion-dollar industry. To put this into perspective, Gartner estimates cloud spending will reach $260 billion by the end of 2018. And Gartner is not alone in highlighting cloud computing’s growing prevalence in the market.
In their Cloud Vendor Revenue Projection Project, 2017, Wikibon estimates that all categories comprising the enterprise cloud will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19 percent from 2016 to 2026. Whereas traditional infrastructure, on-premises software, and legacy methods of business process outsourcing will experience a negative 3 percent CAGR.
The dynamic effects of cloud adoption are already playing out and are most evident in the three wide-ranging and common models of cloud computing services: software-as-a-service (SaaS), infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), and platform-as-a-service (PaaS).
Another defining cloud characteristic is that the computing, storage, networking, and integration capabilities of each SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS offering are effectively owned by the vendor and delivered as a service on an on-demand, subscription basis to the customer.
Key Characteristics of Cloud Computing:
- On-Demand Self-Service
- Broad Network Access
- Resource Pooling
- Rapid Elasticity
- Measured Service
These three categories are designed to be stacked on top of another, which means they can work independently of each other or in a combination. Imagine a three-tiered pyramid with SaaS sitting on top benefiting end users, PaaS in the middle aiding developers and serving integration requirements, and IaaS at the base assisting system administrators.
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- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Cloud computing model that delivers hardware services over a network, commonly referred to as the “on-demand software,” SaaS is the most commonly implemented cloud computing service for business customers. With a wide variety of application and service types, SaaS is replacing or augmenting traditional enterprise systems including ERP, accounting, human resources management, content management systems, supply chain and inventory management, and customer relationship management (CRM) programs, among others. Since SaaS doesn’t require purchasing an expensive licensed program, users can access numerous cloud applications on an as-needed basis. According to the 2017 State of the SaaS-Powered Workplace Report, the average business has 16 SaaS applications deployed, a 33 percent jump over the previous year.
- Software as a Service (SaaS): Cloud Computing model that delivers software over a network,The IaaS layer offers essential building blocks, database storage, and a virtual platform. By building cost-saving and scalable IT solutions, the complex and expensive hardware is outsourced to a third-party cloud vendor. All of these IT components are automated for customers who are able to self-provision the storage or processing power of the IaaS platforms. Vendors are also responsible for ongoing maintenance, including system upkeep, backing up data, and business steadiness.
- Platform as a Service (PaaS): Cloud Computing model that delivers software development framework over a network. A platform encompasses the underlying software, and hardware resources on which it is hosted but the user interacts with them only through the development environment interface. Think of PaaS as the middleman of cloud services as it sits central, linking SaaS and IaaS. This cloud service provides users with all the tools needed to create a digital platform. It features the groundwork for storage, networking, and virtual servers with software and hardware necessary to design, develop, test, implement, manage, and operate applications while integrating, analyzing, and sharing data.
Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage and computing power, without direct active management by the user. The term is generally used to describe data centers available to many users over the Internet.
Cloud computing is heavily used in the corporate environment nowadays for following reasons:
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- Security concern associated with data.
- Concern regarding dependency on services which are controlled by third parties.
- Some organizations will become leaders in the charge while other will lag from the others.
The exact benefits will vary according to the type of cloud service being used but, fundamentally, using cloud services means companies not having to buy or maintain their own computing infrastructure. With the cloud, you can expand to new geographic regions and deploy globally in minutes. Rather than owning their own computing infrastructure or data centers, companies can rent access to anything from applications to storage from a cloud service provider.
The three main types of cloud computing include Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service. Each type of cloud computing provides different levels of control, flexibility, and management so that you can select the right set of services for your needs.
Cloud providers are competitive, and they constantly expand their services to differentiate themselves. This has led public IaaS providers to offer far more than common compute and storage instances.
In nutshell, cloud computing is a newly developing paradigm of distributed computing. Organizations like Google, Yahoo, Amazon are already providing cloud services. The products like Google App-Engine, Amazon EC2, Windows Azure are capturing the market with their ease of use, availability aspects and utility computing model. Users don’t have to be worried about the hinges of distributed programming as they are taken care of by the cloud providers. They can devote more on their own domain interest to indulge themselves into using cloud services. In developing counties like India c work rather than these administrative works. Business organizations are also showing increasing loud computing can be applied in the e-governance and rural development with great success.
What is Cloud Computing?
A few years ago, the basic concept of the cloud was derided by reducing it to the idea of “someone else’s computer,” a saying that decorates the coffee mugs of quite a few IT professionals. Oracle CTO Larry Ellison was equally skeptical, complaining that “we’ve redefined cloud computing to include everything that we already do.”
A distributed digital infrastructural resource that delivers hosted services by way of the internet.
And while there are several different ways to define cloud computing, it all comes down to these five key aspects:
- Networking
- Data management
- Storage
- Services
- Devices
Types of Cloud Deployments
How an organization handles and secures business assets and needs can be reflected in how it deploys its cloud service. But cloud deployment is more than just a “private cloud vs. public cloud” debate. The rise of hybrid cloud deployment has added a whole different flavor.
1. Public Cloud
A public cloud is maintained through a third-party IaaS cloud provider. Servers, storage, and other digital resources are delivered through the internet. Since the provider absorbs all infrastructure and bandwidth costs, a customer only needs a web browser to access service and manage accounts.
Pros: Reliable service, cost-effective through economies of scale, no maintenance, elastic scalability
Cons: Often deemed unsafe for handling highly private and sensitive data; must comply with strict security regulations
2. Private Cloud
In a private cloud, cloud computing services, infrastructure, and networking are operated solely by an organization independent of other enterprises or public platforms. A private cloud can be maintained in one of two ways: A company’s data center is physically located in-house, or a third-party vendor is paid to host everything on a private instance.
Pros: More control, customizable, scalable, flexible, secure
Cons: More expensive and maintenance (if kept on-site)
3. Hybrid Cloud
As assumed, a hybrid cloud deployment is a blend of private and public clouds. This infrastructure allows data, information, and apps to be shared and transferred interchangeably. The private side can be used for sensitive processes such as finances and data recovery, whereas the public side can run high-volume applications
Pros: Enhanced agility, accessibility, security
Cons: More maintenance, complex compatibility
Leading Cloud Computing Companies
The biggest and most well-known tech brands wouldn’t exist without ongoing advancements in cloud computing. In fact, the top cloud computing companies have created what’s known as the “cloud wars” with never-ending one-upmanship and extensive strategic SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS deployments. And the two enterprises below have taken the wheel at dominating the IaaS cloud market thus far.
Microsoft: Deeply invested in all three levels of the cloud, Microsoft cloud computing – with its Microsoft Azure and Dynamics 365 products – is still frontrunner as a global enterprise-cloud provider. Microsoft continues to develop and deploy products around artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and Blockchain. The company saw a $6 billion profit in Q1 this year, more than half $1 billion ahead of any other cloud computing companies.
Amazon: The massive e-commerce brand isn’t far behind Microsoft in the cloud service space. it’s $5.44 billion 2018 Q1 is still second, but Amazon cloud computing, Amazon Web Services (AWS), is making strides in the cloud services movement, and still ahead of Google’s cloud computing ventures.
Benefits of Cloud Computing
Today’s business environment relies more and more on devices with Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities (especially smartphones and tablets). As a result, a majority of offices are essentially becoming virtual workspaces. Therefore, easier and more efficient access to data is possible through cloud computing.
A recent study by market research company Vanson Bourne revealed that cloud computing is having a measurable business impact. Companies that have implemented cloud services have seen a nearly 21 percent increase in speed to market, a 19 percent jump in process efficiency, and a 20 percent uptick in company growth. Here are even more advantages of cloud computing:
- Flexible costs: Cloud computing spins the table on traditional capital expenditure (capex) spending, instead the majority of cloud spend is operational expenditure (opex). Since a third-party vendor will take care of maintenance, a company doesn’t have to fund a support team to fix problem servers. The upfront costs of infrastructure needs like local server purchases are reduced.
- Improved mobility: With the cloud, apps and data are accessible anywhere, anytime. And that’s all due to the ever-increasing number of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. The “anywhere, anytime” benefit also certainly applies to business. Employees gain flexibility, becoming more efficient with workflows and customer service.
- Increased collaboration: Cloud computing is essentially built for improving work processes, and that includes data flows between coworkers and business partners. Organizations demand more apps for file sharing and streamlined workflows. Remote workers can instantly connect and communicate with fellow employees and important clients.
- Economies of Scale: Cloud computing reduces cost by leveraging economies of scale. A Booz Allen Hamilton study found that the cloud approach could reduce costs by 50 to 67% for a deployment of 1000 servers. Cloud customers can take advantage of lower costs from vendors’ economies of scale, reducing their investments in on-premises infrastructure.
- Operational: Technology will never be perfect, but some are just less complex. That includes the infrastructure of cloud computing, which usually runs on separate servers through a third-party vendor. So, when problems do arise, it’s the vendor’s job to promptly fix the problem instead of having on-site IT staff spend time and resources file claims or updating servers.
Disadvantages of Cloud Computing
But that’s not to say that cloud computing doesn’t have its shortcomings (technology will never be perfect, remember?) There will still be some level of downtime, albeit minimal, and there’s always the chance of a data breach and leaky security. The disadvantages of cloud computing aren’t all doom and gloom, though. There are ways to mitigate risks.
1. Downtime
As more companies rely on third-party cloud service vendors, these providers can become overloaded with excessive client requests and may face technical stoppage. Just like any cloud-related outage or lost internet connection, a business can come to a halt with inaccessible apps, data, and servers.
How to minimize the problem: Demand a service level agreement (SLA) from your provider guaranteeing uptimes in excess of 99.55 percent.
2. Security
Even the biggest and most well-known brands with the best security practices aren’t completely protected from having their data compromised. And storing important, sensitive information on external service clouds aren’t foolproof measures, either. There are always loopholes in susceptible systems, especially in public clouds where accessibility is wide open to hackers, careless users, and other vulnerabilities.
How to minimize the problem: Limit data access based on user context.
3. Limited control
The cloud offloads much traditional IT maintenance to the cloud service. However, this also leads to less control over IT process. A company’s application leader will only have access to the frontend management tooling for apps, services, and data, but not the backend infrastructure.
How to minimize the problem: Total control might not be an option on the backend, but there’s always a possibility for more visibility into how critical data is being handled by the cloud services provider.
Top 10 Cloud Computing Project Ideas
1. Cloud-based Document Collaboration System
Creating a collaborative document editing system is one of the top cloud computing project ideas that allows multiple users to simultaneously work on documents stored in the cloud. In this project, you need to implement real-time updates, version control, and user authentication.
You can consider integrating features like comments, annotations, and notifications.
Technologies Used: Node.js, Express, MongoDB (for backend), React (for frontend), WebSocket for real-time communication.
2. Serverless Computing for Scalable Applications
Developing a serverless architecture is another top cloud computing project idea for building scalable and efficient applications. You can utilize platforms like AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, or Google Cloud Functions to create a system that automatically scales based on demand.
This project could involve deploying a serverless function that performs a specific task, such as image processing or data analysis, and observing how the system scales up and down in response to varying workloads.
Technologies Used: AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, Google Cloud Functions
3. IoT Data Processing with Cloud Services
In this project, you need to combine the power of the cloud with the Internet of Things (IoT) by creating a project that involves collecting, processing, and analyzing data from IoT devices. You can use cloud services like AWS IoT, Azure IoT Hub, or Google Cloud IoT to manage device connections and process the generated data.
This project could include real-time monitoring, data visualization, and predictive analytics based on the IoT data.
- Technologies Used: AWS IoT, Azure IoT Hub, Google Cloud IoT
4. Cloud-based E-Learning Platform
Next is developing an online learning management system (LMS) that leverages cloud resources for hosting course content, managing user data, and enabling collaborative learning.
You can work on incorporating features such as video lectures, quizzes, progress tracking, and discussion forums.
Technologies Used: Django (Python) or Ruby on Rails (Ruby) for the backend, PostgreSQL, React, or Vue.js for the front end, and AWS S3 for media storage.
5. Cloud-based Healthcare Management System
Another best project idea on cloud computing is developing a cloud-based healthcare management system that allows healthcare professionals to securely store and access patient records, medical history, and treatment plans. Also, ensure compliance with healthcare data security standards to create a robust and trustworthy system.
You need to implement features like appointment scheduling, telemedicine integration, and real-time collaboration among healthcare providers.
- Technologies Used: AWS or Azure for overall cloud infrastructure
6. Serverless Image Processing Application
Creating a serverless application for image processing is another top project idea on cloud computing, which utilizes services like AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, or Google Cloud Functions.
This project allows users to upload images for tasks such as resizing, filtering, or applying machine learning-based image recognition.
Technologies Used: AWS Lambda (or Azure Functions, Google Cloud Functions), S3 for image storage, Python (for image processing scripts).
7. Cloud-based Disaster Recovery System
Designing a disaster recovery system using cloud resources to back up critical data and applications. Also, you need to constantly test and demonstrate the effectiveness of the recovery process.
You need to implement automatic failover and recovery mechanisms to ensure minimal downtime during unexpected events.
Technologies Used: AWS or Azure for cloud resources, scripting languages for automation (e.g., Python, PowerShell).
8. Blockchain Integration with Cloud Storage
Exploring the intersection of blockchain and cloud computing by creating a secure and transparent cloud storage system. You can utilize blockchain technology to ensure data integrity, immutability, and traceability.
This project could involve developing a decentralized file storage system or integrating blockchain features into existing cloud storage services.
Technologies Used: Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric, or other blockchain platforms
9. Cloud-based Mobile Health (mHealth) App
Developing a mobile health application that utilizes cloud resources for storing and processing health data. You need to ensure compliance with healthcare data security standards.
You can include features such as health monitoring, medication reminders, and integration with wearable devices.
Technologies Used: Firebase or AWS for backend services, React Native for mobile app development.
10. Cloud Gaming Platform
You can also try out building a cloud-based gaming platform that allows users to play high-end games on low-powered devices. To implement this, you can utilize cloud services for rendering and processing game graphics, enabling users to stream games without the need for expensive gaming hardware.
You can consider implementing features like multiplayer support, cloud saves, and seamless cross-platform gaming.
- Technologies Used: NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Google Stadia, AWS GameLift
