Adapting to the New World
Few people would disagree that the business world changed when Henry Ford perfected the assembly line concept in 1913. The manufacturers who adopted this new process thrived, while those who clung to the traditional ways of doing business slowly faded away. ?Likewise, companies today face a similar decision concerning the adoption of new technology. The 21st century has been called the Age of Information and technological advancements are sure to change the way we live for years to come.
Two of the most dynamic advancements in technology in the last several years have been cloud computing and the virtually unlimited access to information through the Internet. Just as the assembly line hurtled our country forward in the production of automobiles, textiles, and other products, these technologies have rapidly advanced the flow and availability of information.
What is ?The Cloud??
Simply defined, the cloud is a collection of servers, typically housed in secure data warehouse facilities throughout the world. These servers can be accessed from any device in any location, as long as that device has an internet connection.
For many businesses, the traditional model of data storage involved the physical hosting of data on a server located in their office and maintained by onsite information technology professionals. If you and your peers decided to move all of your individual physical servers to one central location, your collection of servers would, in essence, form a portion of the cloud.
Every day many of us use web-based software products available through cloud computing. If you?ve accessed your medical records online or used Google applications, online banking, or done online shopping, you?ve used the cloud.
Business Benefits of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing offers businesses of all sizes the technology infrastructure benefits typically found only in large companies. A few of the benefits provided are listed below:
- greater cost efficiency
- scalability for growing businesses
- remote work capability
- data redundancy
- disaster recovery
In today?s economy, every business seeks the most cost effective processes for their needs. Using web-based software solutions benefits companies by decreasing costs from many perspectives including utility costs, IT infrastructure, and software licensing fees.
Accessing hosted services also provides the benefit of allowing your business to scale needed IT infrastructure at a rate that falls directly in step with its growth, only paying for the level of resources you use. Many companies are utilizing Amazon?s EC2 allowing them to initiate a new server in seconds and only pay for the time and space used. The concept is similar to using shared utility resources in a city. When you need electricity, you simply plug in your appliance and turn it on. The electricity comes from a remote plant; you don?t have to generate it yourself. Since utilities are on a pay-as-you-go basis, you can use however much or little of the utility you need, but none of this would be possible if you weren?t sharing resources with the rest of the user community.
The cloud provides mobility, which is critical for today?s workforce. Consider how you accessed data from remote locations in the past. If you wanted to view your work files from home, you stored your data on hardware like a cd, flash drive, or external hard drive, then physically transported the hardware to your home. If your business uses web-based systems, you can access your data instantly from any location with an internet connection. This ability allows your staff to work remotely with ease.
Web-based business solutions are a key asset to business continuity planning, especially for small to midsize companies. If you?ve ever experienced loss of data and productivity due to a power surge, power outage, or natural disaster, you understand the value of data redundancy and disaster recovery. By using technology hosted in a secure data facility, you gain access to IT infrastructure with failover capability. Simply stated, your data resides on more than one server and will automatically re-route when needed thus reducing downtime and loss of productivity.
Is the Cloud Secure?
One of the biggest concerns preventing some companies from progressing to the cloud is the question of security in web-based systems. It isn?t difficult to find instances of security breaches in the news. No data storage system, whether located in your office filing cabinet or available in the cloud, can guarantee absolute security.
Security surrounding web-based processing is sophisticated on many levels. For comparison purposes, in a typical small office environment, security consists of a physical server in a locked room. An advanced security system in the same office might include an alarm system and restricted access to the server. In a cloud-based environment, security has to start at the data level and continue up through the operating system to the actual physical security of the data center hosting the systems. Data level security includes access controls, user-level authorization and verifying the integrity of the individual files and data included in the system. The physical security of the data center itself is critical to the overall security of your data. Amazon EC2 is a well respected hosting facility. In the Physical Security section of their online FAQs, they share a good example of how to secure machines:
AAWS data centers are housed in nondescript facilities, and critical facilities have extensive setback and military grade perimeter control berms as well as other natural boundary protection. Physical access is strictly controlled both at the perimeter and at building ingress points by professional security staff utilizing video surveillance, state of the art intrusion detection systems, and other electronic means. Authorized staff must pass two-factor authentication no fewer than three times to access data center floors. All visitors and contractors are required to present identification and are signed in and continually escorted by authorized staff.
In today?s modern business environment, it?s important to remember that security is everyone?s responsibility. Even though cloud providers are heavily invested in the privacy and security of data, change often brings with it uncertainty and fear of the unknown. Arming yourself with information about new technologies, like the cloud, and how they relate to your business will allow you to make informed decisions and strategically place your company in a leadership position.
Definitions
- Cloud ? a network connection that gives you access to data stored in secure data warehouse centers all around the world (not stored on your computer).
- Server ? a computer that processes requests and delivers data to other computers over a local network or the Internet.
- Database ? a collection of information organized to provide efficient retrieval.
- Data Center ? a highly secure facility that houses and maintains multiple servers and other [computer] components.
- Hosting ? providing space on a server owned or leased for use by a company?s clients, as well as providing internet connectivity, typically in a data center.
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