Cloud Computing: Service Types, Use Cases, Hot Trends

Previously, we told you about what cloud computing is, revealed its types, and shared some statistics. Check out our first article to make sure you`re aware of the basics. Now it`s time to see the way this technology can be applied in practice. In this article, we`ll show enterprise use cases, services of cloud computing, and its hottest trends.

Quick overview

Before delving into the practical part of cloud computing, let us remind you what it is.

This technology provides online computing resources upon request. Cloud computing makes it possible to rent information technologies instead of buying them. There is no need to invest in databases, software, or hardware. Alternatively, you can access computing resources via the Internet or cloud and pay for their use. Some of the cloud solutions include servers, storage, databases, networks, software, analytics, and business intelligence.

This technology can boast its speed, scalability, and flexibility which enable enterprises to develop, innovate, and maintain IT solutions for business.

Cloud technology services

To take advantage of cloud computing, it`s worth learning its services. Most of them are grouped under the abbreviation XaaS, which stands for "anything as a service". There are three core services:

• DaaS (Desktop as a Service) provides a remote desktop to a user. Unlike a local desktop, a remote one can possess highly powerful technical characteristics. This allows you to implement applications of various levels without being limited to the capabilities of your desktop PC.
• PaaS (Platform as a Service) is a type of cloud computing that is provided to the customer in the form of a ready-made software platform. It includes various tools which can configured. Basically, this platform can be anything you wish, from a testing environment and database management system to automation of management processes. Whichever you pick, it can bring much benefit to your startup and save your time being managed and maintained by a service provider.

• SaaS (Software as a Service) is probably the most common type of service based on cloud technologies. It provides customers with various programs that are located in the cloud of the service provider. As an example, consider a Google email box or a Microsoft Office 365 package.
• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) helps users rent a pool of computing resources of a service provider as a virtual infrastructure. These can be virtual servers, data storage systems, various network elements, as well as any combination of these components.

Apart from the basic ones, there are many other cloud services. Let's take a closer look at them:

• DRaaS (Disaster Recovery as a Service) enables customers to restore the operability of their own virtual structure in case of an accident or catastrophe. Services of this type help you eliminate the impact of serious failures on your business.
• BaaS (Backup as a Service) provides customers with a platform and tools for data backup in the cloud. This depends on many factors, such as the amount of data being backed up, the bandwidth of communication channels, as well as the backup scheme, and the archive depth. This is convenient for companies that have a large amount of critically important data but lack a reliable backup system.
• BaaS (Backend as a Service) is a set of ready-made server functionality that allows you to facilitate and speed up the application development. In other terms, it is a full-fledged development environment hosted in the cloud. Here you can reap all the technology benefits such as unlimited scalability.

Enterprise use cases

Having learnt the basics of cloud computing and its service types, it`s time to see the way businesses benefit from it. Here are the key industries where cloud computing is used.

Marketing & Retail

Cloud infrastructure enables brands to quickly adjust to market changes and test new tools for attracting and retaining customers. On top of that, it saves money on developing and maintaining your own IT infrastructure. at the same time allows you not to spend money on creating and maintaining your own IT infrastructure. This is crucial for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as seasonal ones.

In addition, cloud computing helps businesses quickly scale solutions to multiple locations. This is especially useful for large retail chains with thousands of stores. The technology allows you to save money and convert capital expenses into operational.

Financial Services

Many financial companies shifted to the cloud infrastructure to enhance their credibility. Thanks to its High-end equipment, it provides such data security that no local server is able to guarantee. On top of that, the cloud system has a wide functionality and various software environments, ensuring high availability of the service and compliance with legal requirements.

To optimize business processes, fintech startups use data-driven marketing. However, this method works as long as you apply it properly. To do this, you need to integrate data-driven marketing into the corporate environment. What makes it challenging is expensive licenses and time-consuming implementation. Alternatively, you can use cloud infrastructures to save your money and time.

Entertainment segment

Cloud computing helps businesses to quickly scale the resources needed to implement a project. This advantage is actively used in film production. For instance, the virtual infrastructure was used to render graphics in the movie "Life of Pi".

Apart from the production speed, IaaS provides secure access to the footage. This factor is relevant not only for post-production companies but also for all participants involved in movie-making. With the help of IaaS, the process of interaction between all parties can be organized in a few hours using ready-made tools of a cloud provider. They guarantee economic efficiency and sufficient security.

Besides, IaaS is commonly used in the field of AR. It helps you compare information about a place, object, or person in real time using thematic AR applications and specialized infrastructure. For example, VR games like Pokemon Go implement the AR-Cloud infrastructure.

Telecommunication

Cloud communication services are the key driver of the telecommunication market. IP technologies optimize the workflow and allow companies to pay only for those tools they need. This type of telecommunication services helps startups develop by reducing their costs.

Telecommunication can also take advantage of hybrid clouds connected through a secure tunnel. In this case, part of the settings can be made by the customer and the most complex functions will be taken over by the operator.

Trends in cloud computing

Lack of servers

Serverless clouds are a rapidly developing technology. With their help, there is no longer need to buy or rent hardware to provide services. One of the biggest advantages of such a solution is the ability to scale quickly and easily. Therefore, there is no equipment downtime or exceeding of limits as a result of a sharp traffic increase. It makes resources automatically adjust to the required volume.

Moreover, when a business moves to the cloud, it pays rent only for the resources used. No fixed fees for storage volumes, bandwidth, hardware. Entrepreneurs can take advantage of high computing power with minimal investment, without buying hardware.

Energy-saving

Energy saving technologies is one of the hottest trends of the cloud in 2022. Businesses are striving to make their products as eco-friendly as possible. And cloud technologies can greatly help them here by considerably reducing energy consumption.

The point is that cloud providers should pay much attention to the so-called "green" data centers. These are storage facilities whose operation is based on alternative energy sources. One of such advanced solutions is the introduction of cloud services. Its scaling is based not on performance but the energy consumption basis.

Cloud-based program apps

Cloud software has boomed thanks to its increased flexibility of settings, excellent performance, and minimizing the cost of the equipment purchase. Today, over 70% of the applications that businesses use in their daily work are cloud-based.

Traditional applications include data and a processing module in the form of code. To run them, you need some disk space. While cloud applications don`t serve most of these processes acting only as a data entry device. To work with them, you need to use a browser or a mobile application. But the processing itself will be performed on a remote API-based server.

Containerization

Computing, networking, and information storage are increasingly shifting to the digital environment, which makes it possible to optimize the cost of IT resources. In the process of converting physical applications to cloud infrastructure, more and more applications are being replaced by microservices. Then they go through containerization, which enables developers to manage them via orchestral platforms.

With the help of containerization, you can quickly deliver information, increase the flexibility of settings, as well as ease the modernization and management of all stages.

According to experts, the global number of companies using container software will shift from 40% to 75% by the end of 2022.