Cloud 101

If you've ever wondered about the Cloud, start here.

The Cloud Defined
A somewhat generic term to describe a network, or homologation of networks that are not within a customer’s local domain.  Cloud-based applications typically reside in common data-centers and are then accessible to fixed or mobile users over high-speed broadband connections.  Because they are hosted in  carrier-grade environments, concerns like power redundancy and application fail-over are a thing of the past.  The economies gained by moving applications to the Cloud are tremendous as computing resources can now be shared across many users.  Most importantly, this can be accomplished without sacrificing security, control, or availability….all for less money.

What has Made the Move to the Cloud?
Perhaps a fairer question is, what hasn’t moved to the Cloud?  Unquestionably, there is a mass migration to the Cloud of nearly every technology.  VoIP was the first technology to gain mainstream acceptance as a Cloud-based service, but that was quickly followed by the software industry’s evolution to SaaS, or Software-as-a-Service.  Salesforce.com can certainly claim first-to-market in the SaaS space, but now every software company in the world is figuring out how to make their applications work well in the Cloud.  More recently, with exciting innovations in virtualization, there really are no limits on what can work better in the Cloud.   Servers, Storage, Security, and Desktops can now be 100% hosted in the Cloud.  What is the biggest enabler of this Cloud migration?  No question, the recent ubiquity of broadband.  Now, unlike ever before, with 3G, 4G & WiFi, users can connect to the Cloud at high-speeds from anywhere in the world.  In fact, most applications can actually run faster in the Cloud with better reliability, security and availability.

What is the Potential Impact on Your Business?
The effects of the Cloud on businesses can be huge.  It is absolutely a fair expectation that moving to the Cloud will significantly cut costs, but it doesn’t just stop there.  The Cloud has opened up opportunities for innovation unlike anything since the Internet.  There are new solutions to business problems created everyday in the Cloud.  Whereas most technology innovations of the past have really only been available to large enterprise customers, the Cloud has turned the tables.  Small-to-medium-sized businesses are perhaps the biggest beneficiaries of Cloud-based technologies.  With the dramatically lower CAPEX requirements of the Cloud, businesses of any size can take full advantage of the benefits the Cloud makes possible.

The Cloud can be a daunting thing, and for a business to figure out how to get from here to there can be overwhelming.  That’s where Terrapin Solutions can help.  We’re experts in the Cloud and are focused on designing solutions that solve real problems for our customers.  Contact us today to find out exactly how the Cloud can impact your business.