Introduction
In the early years, computing was a centralized process, which means that the users can access the information only from the terminals of the mainframe computers. Later with the introduction of personal computers, processing power came to the individual hands through word processing and spreadsheets. The data could be transferred through floppy discs and CDs. With the development of the internet, the computing became decentralized. This also made possible exchange of the data and downloading facilities. The recent revolution in information technologies has increased the speed in the data transfer and storage. With the introduction of wireless high-speed technologies, users can store the data in their system or access data from other systems. Because of all these inventions, the users could not manage and store their data. This is the area where the cloud computing plays a role. Cloud computing has become a buzzword nowadays. The cloud computing refers to a system of computing in which the tasks to be performed is assigned through a combination of connections, service, and software over a network. This collection of connections is known as ‘cloud’, which allows the users to sort and search through a vast amount of data.
Why is cloud computing useful for large corporations?
Cloud computing is useful for large corporations, where there are large number of employees operating in various locations involved in using specialized software to perform various data-intensive tasks. They may sometimes face difficulty in accessing the data without having an arrangement of networked computers. Cloud computing, which is an online activity helps in accessing the data, or else use a software program that is made possible by using different devices through the internet. Earlier in building an information technology infrastructure for a big enterprise, the technology managers have to decide between buying and leasing hardware, which is a very exorbitant task since the rates are high. However, with the introduction of cloud computing, there exist many other new options. Cloud computing provides the services through the internet one of the most important advantages of the cloud infrastructure is that it offers all the infrastructural services like servers, routers, switches, etc. With the help of the cloud infrastructure, there is no need to lease or own hardware. Cloud infrastructure works through virtual machines, which have so many closely integrated software, that just act like physical computers. Thus, one physical machine has so many virtual machines running on it. One major advantage of these virtual machines is that they could be easily reproduced to a new physical machine, so even if one physical machine fails, the virtual machine can be used by connecting it to another server. It will reduce the cost and save time to a considerable extent. (Business Solutions: What you need to know about cloud computing, 2008).
Global software is a multinational computer technology corporation and is using the Windows operating system and different other office software. It is a constantly growing software business firm, which earns more than $50 billion every year. It is a publicly-traded company, with a strong customer base and has its own culture. Since it is a software-based company, it focuses on delivering innovative technologies and other IT-enabled services to the customers. The main objective of the firm is to provide a better association of IT services, using leveraged technology investments across both business and IT solutions. It provides improved compliance and governance, also has improved resource efficiency, increased satisfaction of the users and improved profitability for achieving desired business outcomes. Global software has concentrated more on the delivering secured and healthy software, compared to its competitor’s rapid releases. They are also undertaking the development of so many hardware products and also developed many live search engines, but could not perform well and the products failed to absorb into the market. Still now, the company is using traditional office software suits. Therefore, an increasing need for a transition from the traditional software to the more integrated and modern software will help the company to reach considerable heights both in terms of profit and technology.
Even though there were many technological changes, Global software firms failed to adopt those changes since it has some built in term limits. It was dominant in one phase and was rarely enjoying the same success in the further years because sometimes it was impossible for the organization to make some necessary business changes suddenly. The organization could not adopt the network computing and other modern technologies due to some cultural and also due organizational reasons, and by adopting the cloud computing there will be a shift from a more distributed client-server to a more centralized model, though it is rationally centralized and physically distributed. This new technology is also in conflict with the recent products of the corporation like the client operating systems and the desktop software. If this situation is continuing in the future, the stock prices of the organization will fail and the organization will suffer huge losses.
Why there is a need for a change?
Various changes had happened in the computing field in the last ten years. The most common changes are the consumerization of the web and the use of browsers. There was a shift in the application development efforts to the server-side programming; there were improvements in the network bandwidth, and anywhere wireless access, etc. Increased maturity was also noticed in open source software and in the explosion and development of mobile devices. Development of service-oriented architecture, usefulness of software as a service, development of utility or grid computing. In total, this major shift from using browsers as a channel of contact for the consumers and consumption objective for the organizations has explicitly reduced the use of locally installed software. This will have a negative impact on the entire office tools and traditionally acquired and installed software, which the firm is using now. The investments of the organization in the online services are also low, which has in turn affected their leadership position and their profitability. Recently it has developed so many live search engines and other products, which has made a significant progress but Global technologies has to go further in terms of adopting new technologies especially in the networking technology.
There are many strong competitors for the Global software technological corporation, who are releasing innovative products and is standing one step high compared to Global software technology. Therefore, the firm has to struggle hard to compete with the competitors in adopting new and innovative technologies. By adopting cloud-based services enables to provide the services at low cost. Already existing companies will definitely have an advantage of this since they increasingly face the need to reduce the maintenance cost. Cloud computing provides so many offers to the users. Global software, which is restricting itself to the production of the desktops, laptops and other services, can adopt the cloud computing technology to enrich their business and to enhance the existing products. Cloud computing is similar to what is called utility computing or on-demand computing, and it has the skill to hit into the computing power on the web. It is entirely different from the older concept of computing in the sense that the cloud computing is more flexible. It can handle a wide range of technologies, which the company actually needs to run their business. Then there is high efficiency since the servers are connected to each other so that it could be operated like a single large machine. This will help the company in performing the large as well as small tasks more quickly and cheaply. The key concept of the cloud data centers is multitenancy i.e. the computing tasks which are done for different individuals or companies are handled by same set of computers, because of this, computing power can be used at any given point in time. (Hamm, 2008).
One of the biggest advantages of the cloud-based application is that it could be run on any device that is accessing the internet and because of that the user do not want the buy a new version that is specifically configured for accessing the new technology.
No investment
Cloud computing is an updated version of the functional computing. It does not want any investment in the new infrastructure, training of new personnel for the purpose, or licensing new software. This type of computing software could be used on subscriptions basis or in real-time over the internet, which will also increase the extending capabilities of the information technology. To explain in detail about the loud computing, there are four components in it. First component is SaaS (Software as a Service), which provides a single and open application through the browser to thousands of the customers who are using this design. Since there is no additional investment requirements for the use of this software, costs will comparatively low. This type of application is commonly used for salesforce application and for HR application. It also has further application in enterprise resource planning software also. Another component of the cloud computing is the utility computing, which has the power to even replace the parts of data center and enable the information technology to bring together its memory, storage, computational capacity as an effective resource pool that is available over the network. Web services of the cloud computing helps to exploit the internet and helps to convey full rage applications. Platform as a service is another component of the cloud, and this form of computing helps in the delivery of growth situations as service. With the help of this, applications can be built and developed that could be worked on the providers infrastructure and can be delivered through the medium of the internet. Another form of cloud computing is MSP (Manages Service Providers), which is the oldest form of cloud computing. It provides all the anti-spam and desktop management services. Another component is the internet integration, which mainly uses the in-the-cloud integration technology. (Gruman & Knorr, 2008). The new era of connected computing will enable the Global software technologies to empower the business and to balance between the organizing the internet along with the rich interactivity and high performance of the client-server. Using the cloud computing security solutions, the company could save data center space and the personnel time so that it can also reduce the total cost of ownership. It can also help in relieving the cost of spending money on security software and in maintaining it. By adopting, the cloud-based computing; the threats could be identified and filtered before they are reached in the machine.
Using the cloud computing technology, the data or the software applications are not accumulated on the user’s system; else, it is accessed through the web from any device and from any location. The main uses of the cloud computing are that it helps in using the web mail services like Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo mail etc. It helps in storing the personal photos and videos online and helps in using online applications such as Google documents, adobe photo express etc. It helps in online payment and in making a backup hard drive to any online sites. Cloud computing is in turn very easy and convenient, could easily share the information with others and there is no fear of losing the information even if the system fails. (Horrigan, 2008).
In spite of various advantages, there are various disadvantages to cloud computing that must be considered before adopting the system. Since cloud computing system is totally depended on the network connections, any slow down in the network will affect the speed of the computing system. The cloud computing system does not use any hard drive, but is depended on the hard drive on the remote server. If some function using the hardware comes, it could be hardly performed unless there is a hard drive being attached to the computer.
Conclusion
Despite of all these disadvantages, the cloud computing has a long way to go in the future, since all the major software companies are investing more and more funds into it. In the future, Cloud computing will create a big ascend. (Aubrey, 2008).
References
Business Solutions: What you need to know about cloud computing. (2008). Web.
Hamm, Steve. Cloud computing: Eyes on the skies. BusineesWeek. 2008. Web.
Gruman, Galen., & Knorr, Eric. (2008). What cloud computing really means. InfoWorld. Web.
Horrigan, John B. (2008). Use of cloud computing applications and services. Pew/ Internet: Pew Internet & American Life project. Web.
Aubrey, John. (2008). Cloud computing – The future of cloud computing. Web Hosting Articles. Web.