Cloud storage simply means storing data, as well as the use of other services, over the internet. In the past, organizations use their own hard drive or storage within company premises to keep data and information. Adoption to cloud computing, whether public or hybrid, was slow at the start but it gained momentum upon seeing the benefits.
One of the significant benefits of cloud computing is the reduce costs. Organizations don’t have to maintain their own data center or pay additional manpower. There are many third-party vendors that are now offering public, private, and/or hybrid cloud services. Doing transactions over the cloud also gives businesses the flexibility to provide a different digital experience to clients.
Using the cloud is also easier for disaster recovery. There will always be a backup stored somewhere. During the time when everything is stored in physical storage, natural disaster poses harm to the hardware. If all data are stored in just one hardware and disaster struck, years of work can be wiped out in an instant.
This is also true when using different devices. People can just sync their accounts and they can easily access or recover files from lost phones of laptops.
Cloud also allows companies to maximize managed services using collaborative apps. Members of the staff who may be in different locations can easily exchange ideas and leaders can easily make decisions right there and then. Because once in the cloud, and workers are given access to files, anyone can view or even edit documents or even images.
Perhaps, one of the most, if not the most, important benefits of cloud storage is the ease of data analytics. These days, data being the new currency is crucial for companies when it comes to making business decisions.
Cloud has spawned significant changes in doing how organizations and society do things. Everyone is on their smartphone or other devices and access their data wherever they are.
While the convenience cloud computing brings is undeniable, there is still the concern on data privacy. In the past years, companies from across all industries were hit by high-profile data breaches affecting millions of consumers. This raised the question of cloud safety. In spite of this concern, people, especially digital natives, have always known cloud and this is where they do all their transactions.
Tech giants have been offering various cloud services geared toward enterprise and individual businesses. By the looks of it, cloud computing will remain as an essential part of one’s digital life.
Words by Marlet D. Salazar
Illustration by Jezeil Romero
Also published in the JUNE 2019 issue of GADGETS Magazine