Question

What are the names of some current cloud computing vendors other than those discussed in the text? Do you think all firms should use could vendors, or are there some reasons why they should be avoided?

Answer 1

Computing Services are vendors which provide Information Technology (IT) as a service over the Internet. Cloud computing is a term which is used for storing and accessing data over the internet. It doesn't store any data on the hard disk of PC. Cloud computing helps you to access your data from a remote server.

Names of some current cloud computing vendors are:

1) Amazon web services

2) Kamatera

3) Cloudways

4) Sciencesoft

5) Digital Ocean

6) Rackspace

7) Massive Grid

8) Alibaba Cloud

9) VM ware

10) Sales force

There are many benefits of adopting cloud based IT services. Usage of the cloud is expanding among all sorts of businesses due to the many benefits it provides. Introducing any type of new technology comes with risks, but the benefits of the cloud can make the challenges worthwhile. Benefits of using cloud based IT services are:

1) Low Total Cost- Cost is one of the main reasons why businesses choose cloud-based IT.

2) Automatic updates-  With a cloud-based solution, you automatically get the latest technologies without any hidden upgrade fees and minimal adjustments.

3) Easy implementation  Implementing software on-premises can take months, if not years, of adjustment and re-adjustment as your company’s priorities and resources shift. SaaS implementations, however, last anywhere from a month to half a year at most.

4) Scalability and flexibility- Cloud-based services are an excellent choice for businesses that are experiencing continuous growth or that undergo fluctuations in bandwidth demands. By their nature, these internet-based services scale to your usage with little to no adjustment, giving businesses greater ability to take on greater workloads.

However there are some risks which are as follows:

a) Reduced Control and Visibility: Hiring a third-party CSP to handle some of your data means you don’t have complete control over all of it anymore.

b) Broader Exposure: CSPs use application programming interfaces (APIs) to manage cloud-based services. These APIs have the same kinds of potential vulnerabilities as those used for other purposes.

c) Incomplete Data Deletion: When you control all copies of your data, it is easy to determine where all of the copies of it are. When using cloud storage, the CSP may store your data in various locations. When you delete data, this makes it more difficult to know whether all instances of it have been erased.

d) Failed Separations: CSPs typically have multiple clients, so they store data belonging to numerous organizations. This increases the attack surface and the number of potential vulnerabilities.

Conclusion:

If the risks associated with cloud based IT services are properly controlled and mitigated, then entity can minimize risks and enjoy the benefits cloud-based IT services can provide. Hence selection of cloud based IT services depends on how well the company is able to control the risks associated with it.