The use of Cloud, in everyday computing has proven to be of great advantage to modern day enterprises that require vast quantities of storage space for their day-to-day transactions. One cannot deny that Cloud has in more than one ways, simplified computing and storage requirements for companies, but it is also imperative to note that cloud computing is evolving and there is a lot of scope for improvement.
How does Cloud stand out?
Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), grid computing and network assisted sharing all allow firms to have on-demand access to networks, where there is a shared group of resources like servers, storage, services, applications, data, transactions etc.
The importance of cloud stems from the fact that it is easy to control, interact and requires little supervision. On-demand service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity and measured service are the five service characteristics associated with the cloud.
What is changing?
One of the biggest shifts in the IT industry as of now is the delivery of solutions, from on premise deployment to cloud-based subscription. Traditional software and hardware firms are looking at it. In fact, researches claim that the application and deployment of cloud is growing and will continue to do so for the next few years. A major stumbling block for cloud-based computing is the changing customer demands and the need of vendors to keep up with the evolving needs of SMBs. Existing cloud solutions will have to change, adapt and re-invent in order to fit into the new scenario. Companies are more interested in adding cloud-based vendors to their list and many of them are considering switching vendors. In fact, vendors entering the market now have a distinct advantage as they can design flexible solutions and implement them even in current setups such that the industry receives the best product.
What lies ahead?
Cloud computing is not a revolution by a long shot. It has been around and is growing and evolving. It is an architectural structural model that is similar to data centres around the world. Is flexible, easy to use and more efficient!
The manner in which the components are stacked together in the dynamic control plane helps address the customer needs. In fact, the dynamic control plane should be able to intercept and interpret the traffic in the cloud and instruct the user as to how effectively can they connect to the appropriate application. The cloud must be thus built in a manner such that, each of the component like IaaS, PaaS, SaaS manage applications that is designed to work together and incorporate them into the dynamic control plane. The design of a good cloud depends on the type of plane that is created to include the above applications.
Further, even though cloud has provided simple computing and storage facility for enterprises, concerns have been expressed regarding the lack of flexibility between available platforms. Thus, customers are compelled to opt for either on premise or cloud platform or switch between them as and when their business grows or changes. Finding a solution to such issues, would lead to a better cloud experience for its customers.