Cloud technologies are one of the blessings of civilization. Every second Internet user uses them to store and exchange data, but in practice, only a few understand how and how securely it works.

Today, active users are not limited to one gadget - everyone has a smartphone plus a laptop, desktop computer or tablet. You may need access to a file at any time, but you don’t want to carry flash memory and other storage devices. The same situation arises when it is necessary to synchronize information on your work and home PCs, make changes to documents, and edit files.

Cloud technologies are distributed data processing in which the user receives access to computer programs, computing and other capacities as an online service - in real time.

This also means access to virtual storage from anywhere in the world. To do this, you need any device with an Internet connection and a web browser.

A good example with email. If the email client is installed on a computer, the data is stored in the PC's memory. If the user uses mail through a browser, then this is a cloud service.

If there are technical or other problems with the service, access to data will be lost forever. This is one of the main disadvantages of online solutions. The second disadvantage is the ability to use it if you have access to the Internet. The services have many times more advantages.

Benefits of cloud technologies

1. Virtual services free you from the need to work with flash drives and solve the problem of hard disk space limitations - the user is given several gigabytes for free, and if necessary, they can be purchased in addition.
2. No need to buy licensed software.
3. The service allows several employees or a creative team to simultaneously work with one file.
4. The user can store information in any format and freely access it from any device - there is no connection to the memory of a specific computer.
5. The use of such virtual storage frees up space on your hard drive, increasing the speed of your computer.
6. Solutions allow you to eliminate the need for administrators to maintain computers and peripherals. Virtual offices significantly simplify work, reduce costs, and allow you to solve complex technical problems automatically.
7. They can be used on different platforms and, if necessary, scaled. The elastic and flexible structure makes this easy to do.

Originally from the last century

The history of cloud technologies (computing) begins in 1970 - from the moment the American scientist Joseph Licklider voiced his idea. It consisted in the possibility of providing Internet users with access not only to data, but also to programs.

A similar idea was proposed by John McCarthy, proposing to use computing power as an Internet service. Soon work in this area stopped for almost 20 years.

In the 90s, Internet bandwidth increased, but a breakthrough did not occur due to the unpreparedness of specialized companies. At the turn of the century, a company appeared that provided visitors with access to the application through the website. She was the first to offer access to software as a service.

In 2002, Amazon took advantage of new opportunities. Its web service provided information storage and allowed calculations. Four years later, Amazon offered users the opportunity to run their own apps.

The next stage of development was the launch of the Google Apps platform and the launch of a full-fledged operating system in the cloud, announced by Microsoft.

Technical progress and the emergence of open source software have largely contributed to the modernization and expansion of the functionality of technological solutions.

Cloud technologies appeared in Russia in 2010. At the start, the annual volume of their market was:

• $15 million from the public cloud;
• 5 million dollars - from a private one.

After only 4 years, these figures increased to 125 and 33 million dollars, respectively. The upward trend continued in subsequent years, which naturally indicates interest in cloud solutions.

Species

• Public. This category of services is available to a large number of users and companies. Users cannot manage and maintain the cloud - these are the privileges of the owner.
• Private. The Service is used and controlled for the benefit of one organization. The IT infrastructure is located on the premises of the customer or provider.
• Hybrid. This group has the advantages of the two previous categories. Such services, as a rule, are used by organizations with seasonal activity that lack their own capacity, so they use external resources for a certain period.

Application of cloud technologies

Today, the concept of cloud systems covers different types of services and is successfully used in education, medicine, logistics, banking, and business.

The simplest example of application for personal purposes is Google cloud technologies. After installing Google Drive, the user receives storage for his data, which allows him to abandon the old ways of storing information on disks and flash memory.

Google Doc and Word Online from Yandex Disk are full-fledged editors that allow you to work with documents of different formats.

Education

Computers and high-speed Internet have contributed to the improvement of the education system, simplified the presentation of material, and made it possible to solve other important problems. Here are just a few of them:

• Organization of distance learning using cloud technologies in education.
• Students work on a common project, where each group member and teacher can leave comments, edits, remarks, and add information.
• Electronic diaries.
• Submitting homework and checking it for homeschooled children.

Medicine

Accurate and quick diagnosis, selection of the correct treatment tactics, exchange of opinions with colleagues in real time, systematization of medical documentation - this is not a complete list of the use of new solutions.

In the future, cloud technologies can become breakthroughs in healthcare, providing access to information about the patient and the results of laboratory and instrumental diagnostics. Simply put, patients will not have to create cards in all hospitals - the necessary data on diseases and test results will be stored in one place.

Logistics

The cloud in logistics unites the sender, recipient, carrier company, and operator into a single chain. The service allows you to track the route of shipments, communicate with each other, regardless of location, and quickly solve problems associated with cargo delays.

Online services are also used as platforms for organizing tenders and selecting contractors, analyzing inventory balances and timely replenishment, storing transportation data and determining the profitability of routes.

Banks

Competition in the banking sector is high, which forces financial institutions to introduce innovations to improve the quality and quantity of services offered and reduce their own operating costs.

The use of cloud technologies allows you to automate financial processes and solve all the above problems with minimal costs.

Business

Businesses are open to innovation and actively implement them to create contact centers and virtual offices. Employees of virtual offices are not tied to a specific computer and location, which provides savings on renting office space and paying for utilities.

All drives, folders, economic planning programs and other intranet data are reproduced in the cloud.

Safety

Cloud technology security is an area that every provider pays special attention to. Otherwise, he will lose customers, because the IT infrastructure is used to store confidential and strategic data, and therefore must be reliably protected.

Security depends on the type of server: virtual or dedicated. Virtual servers involve placing client information in a single environment. There is a possibility that if there is an error in the code, owners of other accounts will see someone else’s data.

Dedicated servers allow you to create a more secure and functional environment and provide freedom of action when choosing and installing an operating system and software for normal operation.

Service providers always encrypt information hosted on their servers using special cryptographic software. Data can only be accessed using a password specified by an authorized user.

The manager can always track who viewed the information and at what time, what his employees were doing and what was happening on their desktop in a specific time period.

A guarantee of data safety is their daily copying. Transmission channels from servers to PCs and back are protected by several reliable programs so that the code cannot be hacked.

Every year there is more and more trust in online solutions. Today there are already offers with an integrated data self-protection algorithm. The system will grant access if the environment is identified by it as safe. Otherwise, the data will not be usable.

Examples of "cloud technologies"

A great contribution to the development of cloud technologies was made by the OnLive service, opened on July 17 in the United States, which provides the opportunity to play modern games even on the simplest equipment. Technically, it looks like this: the game itself is located on a remote server and graphics are processed there, which are delivered to the end user’s computer in a “ready” form. Simply put, the calculations that are performed by the video card and processor during a normal game on a computer are already performed on the server, and your computer is used only as a monitor. You can even use a regular TV, you just have to buy a miniature OnLiveMicroConsole set-top box for it, which will be the link between the user, the service and the display device.

The cloud is nothing more than a large data center (or a network of interconnected servers). In the case of OnLive, it is in this data center that files (in this case, games) are stored, and it is there that all computing operations are performed. What does it mean? This means that all problems with computer performance and the amount of free space on the hard drive are automatically removed. In addition, there is no need to pay quite a lot of money up front for a product that you don’t necessarily like. It's no secret that you don't want to play most games again, so it turns out that the cost of several hours (or even several days) of pleasure is unreasonably high. A much more convenient option would be one in which you pay only for the time you play. Or (if this option is psychologically inconvenient for you) - you would pay some small fixed amount monthly, which would allow you to play any of the available games without restrictions. That's exactly what OnLive offers.

Another gaming service that also provides rich Internet functionality and is related to cloud technologies is XboxLive (it will be launched in Russia on November 10). The essence of the service is that owners of Xbox 360 consoles and PDAs based on WindowsPhone 7 can play computer games with each other and communicate, as well as buy new games, add-ons and various multimedia content in the online store. Thus, XboxLive creates a kind of virtual universe for gamers, the components of which are located not on end-user consoles, but in the cloud. However, unlike OnLive, XboxLive does not involve (at least not yet) the processing of audiovisual content, removing the need to purchase a console/PDA.

But the main thing is that both services offer us games as a service. That is, you pay not for the product as such (roughly speaking, for a box with a disc), but for the specific functions/opportunities that this product provides you. (SaaS model).

According to the SaaS concept, you do not pay a lump sum when purchasing a product, but, as it were, rent it. Moreover, you use exactly those functions that you need (and, accordingly, pay for them). For example, once a year you need a certain program. And you are not going to use it more often. So why buy a product that will sit idle? And why waste space on it (in an apartment, if it’s a box with a disk, on a hard drive, if it’s a file)? Here, of course, one could argue that programs that we use occasionally are usually small in size and price, and are easier to buy once and then not think about it again. What if the online service (providing the full functionality of this program) is free? You can already think about it! This is exactly the path followed by two competitors - Microsoft and Google. Both companies have released sets of services that allow you to work with documents. Google has GoogleDocs, Microsoft has OfficeWebApps.

At the same time, both services are closely interconnected with mail (Gmail in the first case and Hotmail in the second) and file storage. Thus, the user is, as it were, transferred from his usual offline environment to online. It is important that both Google and Microsoft integrate support for their online services into all software environments - both desktop and mobile (remember that Google created the Android OS, and Microsoft created WindowsPhone 7).

A similar concept (but with slightly different accents) is being promoted by the main competitor of both companies, Apple. We are talking about a very interesting service called MobileMe. The service includes an email client, calendar, address book, file storage, photo album and a tool for locating a lost iPhone. For the opportunity to use all this, Apple charges approximately 65 euros (or $100) per year. At first glance, what are you paying money for? Online email services exist and have existed before. But the main thing here is something else. Apple provides such a level of interaction between its set of Internet services and applications on a computer (running Mac OS X), phone, player and iPad (all running iOS) that the need to use a browser disappears. You use familiar programs on your Mac, iPhone and iPad, however, all data is stored not on them, but in the cloud, which allows you to forget about the need for synchronization, as well as accessibility (surely many PDA owners are familiar with the situation when you have entered a new contact into the address book on the computer, and then they forgot to transfer it to the PDA, and as a result, the contact was not at hand at the right time). At the same time, let’s make a reservation, it is not necessary to use applications exactly - you can simply log into your account through a browser from any computer.

If Apple integrates web services into familiar operating system applications, Google comes from the opposite direction: the Chrome OS operating system developed by the Internet giant is, in fact, one browser through which the user interacts with an extensive network of web services. The OS is designed for a netbook, with very low system requirements and no need to install programs yourself (since all programs run directly on the web). That is, Google brings the benefits of the cloud concept, usually promoted when working with corporate clients, to ordinary users. At the same time, it is obvious that it is impossible to use such netbooks in countries with insufficient broadband Internet penetration. Because without the Internet, a netbook based on Chrome OS will be completely useless.

Microsoft is still a little more cautious in this area. Microsoft's main products for private clients - Windows and Office - still retain their usual operating scheme and are distributed according to the traditional model. However, Microsoft is quite actively beginning to offer its corporate products using the Softwareas a Service cloud model. Well, at the center of the entire Microsoft cloud infrastructure is the WindowsAzure operating system. WindowsAzure creates a unified environment that includes cloud analogues of Microsoft server products (relational database SQL Azure, which is an analogue of SQL Server, as well as ExchangeOnline, SharePointOnline and MicrosoftDynamics CRM Online) and development tools (.NET Framework and VisualStudio, equipped in the 2010 version with a set of WindowsAzureTools ). So, for example, a programmer creating a website in VisualStudio 2010 can host his website in WindowsAzure without leaving the application.

Imagine that you wanted to open your own business and create some kind of website. We bought a server, hired an IT employee, and launched our website. At first there are few visitors, and the server can cope with the load, but then the site is advertised by a famous blogger, the number of visitors increases sharply, and you have to urgently buy new servers. And therefore - buy software, hire employees, look for additional premises, and so on. In general, costs skyrocket. But the number of visitors stabilizes, and it turns out that the servers are operating at an average of 10-15 percent of their capacity. Only rarely does the number of visitors increase enough to load the servers sufficiently. And sometimes it even happens that the servers are overloaded - and then your visitors begin to experience difficulties communicating with the site. How to solve this problem? Take advantage of the capabilities of cloud technologies. You can host your website in the cloud, and you will only have to pay for the capacity that will actually be used, the traffic that will actually be created. This will save you from the need to purchase additional equipment in case of peak loads and at the same time eliminate the problems of day-to-day maintenance of numerous servers. How is this different from regular hosting? The fact that in addition to the physical hosting and support of your site, you are also provided with the necessary software (which is also located in the cloud), scalability and endless possibilities for expansion.

Let's give another example. Let's say you are the owner of a design studio. As a rule, several people work in it. But one day a large order arrives that must be completed in a short time. You have to hire outside employees while working on the project. However, they must be provided with expensive professional software so that they can work! What to do? Buy additional licenses, although you know that they will not be used later? Let's say. But you still have to spend time and effort installing and configuring this application on each computer. And then - for service. That is, in addition to new designers, you will have to hire a new IT employee.

In general, not the best option. It is much more convenient to use the online version of the necessary software, paying only for the time that employees used this software.

Moreover, you automatically avoid problems with setting up, administering and supporting the program. By the way, not only users benefit from this, but also software producers themselves. Why? The answer is simple: because it completely eliminates the problem of piracy.

As a matter of fact, we have given only a couple of particular examples. Speaking globally, all cloud technology options imply a subscription payment model. Moreover, not only in relation to software, but also in terms of hardware resources. And this is conventionally called Payasyougo. Well, those who do not need hardware resources can simply rent the required applications (and here we return to the concept of Software as a Service).

Lecture Cloud technologies

Cloud technologies (computing) are distributed data processing technologies in which computer resources and power are provided to the user as an Internet service.

The main types of cloud technologies include:

" InfrastructureHowservice" (“Infrastructure as a Service” or “IaaS”)

" PlatformHowservice" ("Platform as a Service", " PaaS")

"Software as a service"(“Software as a Service” or “SaaS”).

Let's take a closer look at each of these technologies.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

IaaS is the provision of computer infrastructure as a service based on the concept of cloud computing.

IaaS consists of three main components:

Hardware (servers, storage systems, client systems, network equipment)

Operating systems and system software (virtualization tools, automation tools, basic resource management tools)

Middleware (e.g. systems management)

IaaS is based on virtualization technology, which allows the user of the equipment to divide it into parts that correspond to the current needs of the business, thereby increasing the efficiency of using available computing power. The user (company or software developer) will only have to pay for the server time, disk space, network bandwidth and other resources that he really needs to work. In addition, IaaS provides the customer with a complete set of management functions in one integrated platform.

IaaS eliminates the need for enterprises to maintain complex data center, customer, and network infrastructures, while also reducing the associated capital expenditures and operating costs. In addition, additional savings can be achieved by providing the service within a sharing infrastructure.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS is the provision of an integrated platform for developing, testing, deploying and maintaining web applications as a service.

To deploy web applications, the developer does not need to purchase hardware and software, and there is no need to organize their support. Access for the client can be organized on a rental basis.

This approach has the following advantages:

scalability;

fault tolerance;

virtualization;

safety.

Scalability PaaS involves automatic allocation and release of the necessary resources depending on the number of users served by the application.

PaaS as an integrated platform for developing, testing, deploying and supporting web applications will allow the entire range of operations for developing, testing and deploying web applications to be performed in one integrated environment, thereby eliminating the cost of supporting separate environments for individual stages.

The ability to create and share source code within a development team significantly improves productivity in building applications based on PaaS.

Software as a service (SaaS).

SaaS– an application deployment model that involves providing the application to the end user as an on demand service. Such an application is accessed via the network, and most often via an Internet browser. In this case, the main advantage of the SaaS model for the client is the absence of costs associated with installing, updating and maintaining the functionality of the equipment and software running on it. The target audience is end consumers.

In the SaaS model:

the application is adapted for remote use;

one application can be used by several clients;

payment for the service is charged either as a monthly subscription fee or based on the total volume of transactions;

application support is already included in the payment;

Application upgrades can be carried out smoothly and transparently for customers by maintenance staff.

From the point of view of software developers, the SaaS model makes it possible to effectively combat unlicensed use of software, due to the fact that the client cannot store, copy and install the software.

In fact, SaaS software can be considered as a more convenient and profitable alternative to internal information systems.

The development of SaaS logic is the concept WaaS (Workplace as a Service - workplace as a service). That is, the client receives at his disposal a virtual workplace fully equipped with everything necessary for the operation of the software.

Communications (VoIP)

Antispam and antivirus

Project management

Distance learning

Data storage and backup

All three types of cloud services are interconnected and represent a nested structure.

In addition to various methods of providing services, there are several options for deploying cloud systems:

Private cloud- used to provide services within one company, which is both a customer and a service provider. This is an option for implementing the “cloud concept” when a company creates it for itself, within the organization. First of all, implementation private cloud eliminates one of the important questions that certainly arises among customers when familiarizing themselves with this concept - the question of data protection from the point of view of information security. Since the “cloud” is limited by the company itself, this issue is resolved using standard existing methods. For private cloud characterized by a reduction in the cost of equipment through the use of idle or inefficiently used resources. And also, reducing the cost of purchasing equipment by reducing logistics (we don’t think about which servers to buy, in what configurations, what productive capacities, how much space to reserve each time, etc.

In essence, power is increased in proportion to the overall growing load, not depending on each task that arises - but, so to speak, on average. And it becomes easier to plan, purchase and implement - launch new tasks into production.

Public cloud- used by cloud providers to provide services to external customers.

Mixed (hybrid) cloud- joint use of the two above deployment models

Research stages

Set a work goal.

Find a source of information.

Process information.

Give definitions, reveal concepts.

Analyze the results.

Draw conclusions.

Objectives of the study

Learn basic information about Cloud technologies, the types and areas of application of these technologies.

Consider “cloud” technologies, in particular in education, and more about MICROSOFT technologies.

General provisions

The term " cloud computing"(English - cloud computing) is applicable to any services that are provided via the Internet. The essence of cloud technologies is to provide users with remote access to services, computing resources and applications (including operating systems and infrastructure) via the Internet. The development of this area of ​​hosting (Hosting service for placing the client’s equipment on the provider’s premises, ensuring its connection to high-bandwidth communication channels) was due to the emerging need for software and digital services that could be managed internally, but which would be this makes them more economical and efficient. These Internet services, also known as "cloud services", can be divided into three main categories:

infrastructure as a service

platform as a service

software as a service

Compared to the traditional approach, cloud services allow you to manage larger infrastructures, serve different groups of users within the same cloud, and also mean complete dependence on the cloud service provider. When providing a cloud service, the pay-per-use payment type is used. Typically, the unit of work time is a minute or an hour of resource use. When assessing data volumes, the unit of measurement is the Megabyte of stored information. In this case, the user pays exactly the amount of resources that he actually used for a certain time. In addition, the cloud infrastructure provides the user with the opportunity, if necessary, to “raise” or “lower” the maximum limits of allocated resources, thereby taking advantage of the elasticity of the service provided. The user of cloud services does not need to worry about the infrastructure that ensures the functionality of the services provided to him. All tasks for configuration, troubleshooting, infrastructure expansion, etc. are taken over by the service provider.

Cloud types

Clouds can be public or private.

A private cloud is an infrastructure intended for use by one organization that includes several consumers (for example, divisions of one organization). A private cloud may be owned, operated and operated by the organization itself or by a third party (or some combination thereof), and may physically exist within or outside the owner's jurisdiction.

Public cloud is an infrastructure designed for free use by the general public. A public cloud can be owned, operated, and operated by commercial, academic, and government organizations (or some combination thereof). The public cloud physically exists in the jurisdiction of the owner - the service provider.

A hybrid cloud is a combination of two or more different cloud infrastructures (private, public), which remain unique objects, but are interconnected by standardized or private technologies for data transfer and applications (for example, short-term use of public cloud resources for balancing loads between clouds).

Community cloud is a type of infrastructure intended for use by a specific community of consumers from organizations with common goals. A community cloud may be cooperatively owned, managed and operated by one or more community organizations or a third party (or some combination thereof), and may physically exist within or outside the owner's jurisdiction

In practice, the boundaries between all these types of calculations are blurred.

Three tiers of cloud services

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Infrastructure for rent. The user is provided with a “clean” instance of a virtual server with a unique IP address or set of addresses and part of the data storage system. To manage the parameters, start, stop of this instance, the provider provides the user with a program interface (API).

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS can be thought of as a turnkey virtual platform consisting of one or more virtual servers with installed operating systems and specialized applications. Most cloud providers offer the user a choice of a variety of ready-to-use cloud environments.

Software as a service (SaaS)

The SaaS concept provides the ability to use software as a service and do it remotely via the Internet. This approach allows you not to buy a software product, but simply use it temporarily when the need arises.

Benefits of Cloud Computing

The user pays for the service only when he needs it, and most importantly, he pays only for what he uses.

Cloud technologies allow you to save on the purchase, support, and upgrade of software and equipment.

Scalability, fault tolerance and security - automatic allocation and release of the necessary resources depending on the needs of the application. Maintenance and software updates are carried out by the service provider.

Remote access to data in the cloud - you can work from anywhere on the planet where there is access to the Internet.

Disadvantages of Cloud Computing

The user does not own and does not have access to the internal cloud infrastructure. The safety of user data greatly depends on the provider company.

A disadvantage that is relevant for Russian users: to receive quality services, the user must have reliable and fast access to the Internet.

Not all data can be entrusted to the Internet provider, not only for storage, but even for processing

There is a risk that the online service provider will one day fail to back up your data and it will be lost in a server crash.

By entrusting your data to an online service, you lose control over it and limit your freedom (The user will not be able to change any part of his information; it will be stored in conditions beyond his control).

Application of cloud technologies

As an example of the use of cloud technologies in education, one can name electronic diaries and magazines, personal accounts for students and teachers, an interactive reception area, and more. These are thematic forums where students can exchange information. This includes searching for information, where students can solve certain educational problems even in the absence of a teacher or under his guidance. For this you can use:

computer programs

electronic textbooks

simulators

diagnostic, test and training systems

application and instrumental software

laboratory complexes

systems based on multimedia technology

telecommunications systems (e.g. email, teleconferencing

electronic libraries and more.

Microsoft cloud technologies for educational institutions

Microsoft cloud technologies: Office 365, Azure for educational institutions

Microsoft Office 365 for educational institutions allows you to use all the capabilities of cloud services, helping to save time and money, and also improves the performance of students and employees. Basic functionality, including cloud versions of Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Office Web Apps, as well as Lync Online with video conferencing capabilities, will be provided free of charge. For more information on the new pricing and plans, please visit: Live@edu. Office 365 for Education combines the capabilities of familiar Office desktop applications with web-based versions of Microsoft's next generation of communication and collaboration services. Office 365 is easy to use and manage, with the robust security and reliability expected of a leading global service provider.

More detailed information can be found at the link: http://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/office365/education/school-services.aspx#fbid=RAc3tEIrx3K.

With the help of the Windows Azure in education offering, teachers have the opportunity to incorporate one of the most innovative and rapidly developing technologies into their educational process, both in its theoretical and practical parts. It's no secret that in a few years the demand on the labor market for specialists in the field of cloud computing will increase significantly; with the help of Windows Azure in education, universities have the opportunity to train such specialists.

Cloud technologies involve running applications or storing data on servers located in distributed data centers accessible via the Internet. To develop and run such applications, a special cloud platform is required. Such a platform is Windows Azure, a “cloud” analogue of the Windows Server operating system. However, while Windows Server is software that you purchased and deployed on servers in your local data center, the Windows Azure platform is hosted in Microsoft data centers and is available to you remotely as an environment for developing and running applications. You do not need to purchase and install software, you only pay for the rental of computing resources and capacity of the Microsoft data center platform.

How does Windows Azure work?

Windows Azure works by running a virtual machine for each application instance. The developer determines the required amount of data storage and the required computing power (number of virtual machines), after which the platform provides the appropriate resources. When initial resource requirements change, the platform allocates additional or reduces unused data center resources for the application in accordance with the new customer request.

A feature of the PaaS model (“platform-as-a-service”) is the separation of the application and infrastructure: the developer only needs to determine the amount of resources required for the application to operate, and all actions to provide the requested resources, manage them, dynamic distribution, monitoring, scaling, etc. are performed provider.

For students who want to learn cloud technologies on their own, or who are working on cloud computing projects, Microsoft also provides free access to Windows Azure, allowing them to immerse themselves in the learning process without any restrictions.

For teachers:

5 months access

2 small compute nodes

3GB storage

2 service bus connections

2 SQL Asure Web Edition (1GB)

For students:

The job was completed.

In recent years, SaaS solutions or, in other words, IT services implemented on a cloud platform, have become increasingly popular in the business environment. We can say that cloud technologies have confidently entered our lives and continue to gain momentum. In this article we will try to find out what does cloud computing mean and what are its benefits for business?

In a nutshell, cloud solutions are software products that can be accessed via the Internet. If previously people downloaded software exclusively to a computer or server, today cloud technologies have given us access to programs through a web browser. Such applications are especially popular among small and medium-sized businesses. And the well-known IT magazine “CRN” has calculated that today small businesses spend about 100 billion US dollars on purchasing cloud tools.

Today, many software developers offer business software on a cloud platform. Such solutions include office suites, systems for managing customer relationships, as well as industry-specific applications for managing sales, production, logistics, etc. And, for example, separate products have been developed for each area of ​​logistics: warehouse automation, transport logistics automation and tender automation procurement

So why are so many businesses moving to the cloud? The answer is simple. Cloud tools increase productivity, reduce costs for businesses, and, in addition, offer the user many other benefits.

So, let's look at the main advantages of cloud technologies:

1. Flexibility

If a company is actively developing and, as a result, the network of its branches and representative offices is expanding, because such services are hosted on remote servers.

2. Disaster recovery

When using cloud technologies, companies do not need to worry about the problems of disaster recovery of systems. Suppliers of such solutions take care of all the worries about maintaining the functionality of systems, and problems are resolved very quickly. According to Aberdeen Group research, enterprises that used the cloud solved system recovery problems four times faster than other companies.

3. Automaticsoftware update

According to research, in 2010, UK companies spent 18 working days per month maintaining non-cloud systems and managing their security. Cloud service providers are independently responsible for maintaining and updating servers, including guaranteeing the safety of data.

4. No capital costs

Cloud solutions do not require capital investments for the purchase of servers and their support, and since they are implemented very quickly, minimal effort is required from the customer to “launch” the project.

5. Expanding the scope of interaction

Cloud technologies allow all company employees, regardless of their current location, to synchronize work with documents and applications, working in real time.

6. Work from anywhere in the world

To work with the cloud system, you only need a mobile device and access to the Internet.

7. Document management

According to one foreign publication, 73% of knowledge workers interact with people in other time zones and regions at least once a month. Unless a company uses the cloud, employees are forced to share files via email, resulting in multiple versions of the same document. Cloud solutions allow all files to be stored in one place, and employees can simultaneously work in one central copy, as well as communicate with each other as changes are made. Such cooperation improves overall work productivity.

8. Security of information

It is known that tens of thousands of laptops are lost at airports every year. Valuable and confidential information is lost along with laptops. If information is stored in the cloud, then if the device is lost, there is no data loss.

9. Competitiveness
The cloud allows companies to act faster in emergency situations than their competitors. Businesses that do not use cloud services are forced to resort to backups and complex data recovery procedures in the event of a system failure, which is slow and painstaking work.

10. Eco-friendliness

Research shows that using cloud technologies reduces carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption by at least 30%, which gives an additional benefit to business.