The Growing Popularity Of Cloud Computing And Cloud Hosting

Cloud computing has been stirring up a buzz online since it was introduced a few years back. Now, cloud hosting is currently doing the same in the web hosting industry for very good reasons. If you are new to the phrase “computing in the clouds”, do not worry. The technology is quite new, but its use has already been implemented by giant corporations like Goggle. You may not know it yet, but you have used it already a couple of times by accessing the Internet through a web browser.

The technology is currently being used by large corporations, but news is that even small businesses can get access to this more efficient computing architecture. Although it has been around for a few years, it only gained popularity in 2010. Nowadays, more and more hosting companies are jumping into the bandwagon to provide both large and small businesses with the technology.

What is Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a term that refers to the use of computer resources through a computer network. Traditionally, computer data and software used to read it are stored in the user’s computer. Hence, the user needs specific software to access the data, without which, it will be rendered useless or unreadable. However, if the user is computing in the cloud, so to speak, he does need to have the data and the software. He only needs to have a minimal computer operating system and a web browser to watch videos, read content, view photos, and the like.

The use of the cloud as a symbolic analogy is not new. In networking diagrams and flowcharts, it is commonly used to symbolize the Internet. This means that any computer connected to the Cloud or the Internet is also connected to a vast network of computer resources including software, files, and data. By using the Internet, anyone can store images, videos, text and other media without having to use their own computer resources. Those who have used the services of Yahoo Mail, Gmail or similar services know for a fact that they do not need to store their emails in their own computers using software like MS Outlook.

What is Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting is generally a means of web hosting that relies on the use of multiple servers connected together. In traditional web hosting, the website is only stored in one server and this has a lot of disadvantages. The processing power of the single dedicated server is limited; hence, if the server is down, the website will also be down. It is generally understood that if this happens, a business will lose potential sales unless the server is restored.

The benefits of this type of service can be seen from different angles. Due to its scalability, the website hosted in the cloud can be expanded easily with minimal limitations. Understand that moving a site from a shared server to a dedicated server takes a lot of time. When the server experiences a surge, it crashes and causes the website to become unavailable to the public. These problems can be solved by switching the hosting service to cloud hosting. The service is also cost-efficient since cloud hosting companies provide almost unlimited computing power. In addition, they only charge clients based on what has been consumed. This prevents the possibility of websites crashing down due to server crash.

However, it also has its disadvantages. For instance, since the site is hosted on physical hardware shared by other users, will other users compromise data security? There may also be an issue on the location of the data. Since cloud hosting makes use of several servers, it is hard to pinpoint where the data is currently stored. Security has always been an issue ever since its advent, not to mention the issue on data location. However, there are solutions to these problems usually provided by the hosting companies themselves.

Since the technology is fairly new, it is a good idea for clients to determine wisely if they should join the bandwagon as well or not yet. Nonetheless, this type of hosting is recommended for sites that suddenly experience or expect to experience sudden popularity. Keep in mind that once a website becomes popular, the server may not have enough computing power to keep it running efficiently with the high traffic coming in. With cloud hosting, the website will have access to unlimited computing power and have others use the resource when not in use. This type of hosting has the capability of removing the stress involving limited bandwidth, CPU power, RAM and other computing resources.

Source : http://www.cheaphostingdirectory.com/the-growing-popularity-of-cloud-computing-and-cloud-hosting/