Cloud computing is one of the newest and most secure ways of storing and transferring data. Nicknamed as ‘on-demand computing’ or ‘automated computing’, it is the process of using a common platform or remote server to store data from multiple sources which can be accessed as and when required.
According to a recent Meryll-Lynch research, cloud computing is said to emerge as a $160 billion industry, with about a 100 billion coming through business and productivity applications alone. As markets become bigger and businesses spread throughout the world, the volume of data generated every day assumes epic proportions. The capacity of individual devices, howsoever fast or efficient they might be, falls far short of the expectations where storage is concerned.
The need for cloud computing was developed as it was observed that digital devices were not being used to their optimum, thanks to the rapid and sometimes unequal distribution they enjoyed. Also, data was being generated in such a large amount that alternate platforms of storage and access had to be formulated. It would suffice to say that cloud computing is the ultimate amalgam of grid computing and efficiency computing, a virtual digital bubble of sorts which can make data available any-time anywhere.
Mobiles as the latest device for cloud computing
Smartphones have captured the imagination of the digital world by storm. It can be said that these devices are the remote controls for the future world. As a result, future innovations on cloud computing rely heavily on making servers and platforms easily accessible via these devices. Cloud application development will be a key feature for businesses who wish to tap in the resources generated by billions of mobile data users.
Investment in cloud computing is an essential step for businesses to have greater global coverage, service offering, competitiveness and price. For instance, IBM recently invested $8 million to open is 26th cloud centre in Spain, to gain the footing it lost to formidable rivals Amazon and Google.
The focus of digital giants such as Facebook, Google etc. to connect the entire world on the internet and to have virtual devices such as drones reach the farthest reaches of the planet has made it all the more important to dedicate investments in cloud computing.
Apart from advantages to businesses in storage and access of data, cloud computing also has the potential to significantly impact public services. For instance, a recent experiment featured fitting an ATM machine with a smartphone which generated real time information regarding the current situation of the balances available. Whenever the machine was close to being empty, information was relayed to the cloud server and balance transfer processes initiated.
Mobile app development requires a certain degree of infrastructure, maintaining which might prove costly. Making such infrastructure available to the design team on a cloud platform reduces costs as well as provides an ability to scale requirement as per demand, leading to elimination of over provisioning.