Isn’t Cloud Computing relatively new?!

Electric vehicles, there’s a relatively new concept right! Car manufacturers replace the gas guzzling internal combustion engine with electric motors and batteries and help combat global warming. Most of us believe the production of electric vehicles is relatively new, car manufactures such as Toyota launching the Toyota Prius back in 1997, then Tesla (founded in 2003) quickly becoming the fastest growing brand worldwide (Fastest growing brands worldwide 2021 | Statista) and is now ranked as the leading electric vehicle brand. UK Government state that all new cars and vans sold in the UK must be fully electric by 2035. The government is currently on course to ban the sale of new cars and vans powered entirely by petrol and diesel by 2030 and ban the sale of new hybrid vehicles by 2035.

“Wait, I thought this was an article on Cloud computing?”

Well did you know that electric vehicles have been around for almost 200 years? the first electric vehicle was the creation of Scottish Inventor Robert Anderson in 1832, OK so it was basically an electric powered carriage, but it would have certainly made a drastic change from the horse drawn carriages of the day. Thomas Davenport unveiled a small locomotive in 1835 that was powered by the first American DC motor, following this was the invention of the rechargeable lead-acid storage battery by Gaston Planté in 1859. Then, in 1844 Thomas Parker built the first electric production car. So yes, electric vehicles have been around for almost 200 years.

When did cloud based computing start?

So, what does this have to do with Cloud computing? Well, like the electric vehicles it’s not that new, the term “Cloud Computing” can be traced back almost 3 decades to 1996, when George Favaloro and Sean O’Sullivan wrote a business plan including multiple references to “Cloud Computing”. Let’s take a brief history lesson on the emergence of the Internet, the Web and Cloud computing.

The Internet and the Web, a brief history

It was back in the late 1960’s when we established the first workable prototype of the Internet with the creation of ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) as a way for government researchers to share information. ARPANET used packet switching to allow multiple computers to communicate on a single network.

Move to the 1980’s and January 1, 1983 is considered the official birthday of the Internet. Prior to this, the various computer networks did not have a standard way to communicate with each other. Computer scientists Vinton Cerf and Bob Kahn are credited with inventing the Internet communication protocols called Transfer Control Protocol/Internetwork Protocol (TCP/IP). This allowed different kinds of computers on different networks to “talk” to each other. ARPANET and the Defence Data Network officially changed to the TCP/IP standard on January 1, 1983, hence the birth of the Internet. All networks could now be connected by a universal language.

It was in 1989 that The World Wide Web was invented at CERN by Tim Berners-Lee, an English researcher. The first web browser was released a couple of years later.

The World Wide Web is a technology for linking hypertext documents and other resources. The Web essentially rides on top the Internet. The development of the Web led directly to the massive expansion of the Internet, huge investment in networking technology, and a wave of social changes we’re still riding today.

Cloud based computing platforms – Public, Private and Hybrid

Technology advances has enabled the rapid growth of the Internet and the resources it provides. The Cloud is certainly the prominent resource and we have seen this develop into 3 main types, Public Clouds, Private Clouds, and Hybrid Clouds.

Public Clouds

When we say “Cloud”, we often mean Public Cloud. Third party providers provide and manage Public Cloud services, (Microsoft – Azure) and (Amazon – AWS Amazon Web services), these Cloud services use virtualization and modern network technology to provide on-demand scalable compute and storage which is shared with multiple organisations. Public cloud vendors offer multi-tenant services with a shared infrastructure. The public cloud model is accessible on any device via the Internet.

Typical use of Public Cloud services

If your organisation uses O365 or Google then you are already using Public Cloud services, other common uses include Web Hosting, Data backup and numerous Software As a Service (SaaS) providers.

Private Clouds

Private Cloud delivers similar advantages to Public Clouds, including scalability and self-service, but through a proprietary architecture. Custom private clouds allow companies to leverage the benefits of virtualization in a completely secure and private environment which can be tailored to the specific requirements of their workloads. As with the Public Cloud model, the resources are accessible on devices via the Internet but tend to provide better support for remote working.

Typical use of Private Cloud services

Private Clouds provide better support for remote working, and a completely secure and private environment, so many organisations consider the Private Cloud to be best suited for Remote desktop services and hosting their highly sensitive data and resources.

Hybrid Clouds

Hybrid Clouds integrate and utilises key services from both Public and Private Clouds therefore they can be classified as “Complementary Technologies”. Cost is a key factor for many organisations considering migrating to the cloud. A Hybrid Cloud is a great option for companies that want more security and control of their data but need a cost-effective way to scale their operations to meet spikes in demand (as well as long-term growth).

The Hybrid Cloud option means organisations can house their core, business-critical, and sensitive data on their private servers while offloading less sensitive data and applications to the Public Cloud.

Typical use of Hybrid Cloud services

This is the most flexible of the Cloud options at it integrates both Public and Private Clouds. This integration can provide a seamless interface to the end user when using tailored solutions and Remote working solutions.

Modern Cloud Computing is a lot of aaS’s

The modern world is full of acronyms and the IT sector is inundated with them, let’s look at the top 3 associated with Cloud Computing.

There are three main types of cloud computing “As-A-Service” options, each one of them shelters a degree of control and cost.

  • IaaS: Infrastructure as a Service
  • PaaS: Platform as a Service
  • SaaS: Software as a Service

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

IaaS, or Infrastructure as a Service, works in a similar manner to traditional computer hardware (i.e. servers, networks, operating systems) but operates in a virtual capacity. Instead of buying the physical hardware, Organisations can purchase the infrastructure as a virtual service through an IaaS provider.

The IaaS model offers companies more complete control over their applications and infrastructure without having to commit to investing in physical servers, networking, and storage (which are taken care of by the vendor). The cost is higher than the other cloud computing models due to the greater complexity of the services offered.

Examples of IaaS include Amazon Web Services and Google Compute Engine.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS, or Platform as a Service, refers to cloud services that provide a framework that companies, and developers can use to build (and customise) applications quickly and easily.

PaaS offers companies control over their applications and data while the vendor manages operating systems, middleware, runtime, etc., and the cost is moderate. PaaS is ideal for companies looking to create and control their own applications without the hassle and complexities of networking, running servers, and coding from the ground up.

Examples of PaaS include Microsoft Azure and Google App Engine.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software as a Service (SaaS) is the most prevalent type of cloud service and provides software like email, word processing, collaboration software, design software and a whole host of other applications. SaaS applications are usually accessible directly through a web browser, removing the need to install applications on individual workstations. Operating systems, applications, data, servers, storage, and more are all managed by the vendor, so the organisation only has to worry about the use of the software and providing access to employees.

With SaaS, companies have less control as the vendor manages applications, data, operating systems, storage, networking, etc., but the cost is relatively lower. SaaS is ideal for smaller companies looking to use cloud computing to reduce costs and for companies in industries with fluctuating demands.

Examples of SaaS Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace.

Summary

So, we now know that the Electric vehicle has been around for nearly 200 years and as the technology further developments and continues to evolve it will become more cost effective, this will further drive the move to a more ecologically friendly and sustainable form of transport.

The term Cloud computing has been around for almost 3 decades and like the evolution of the motor vehicle the Cloud has evolved and is continuing to evolve. We are all using some form of Cloud Computing and this will only become more and more dominant.

The challenge for organisations is to carefully identify their own requirements, consider immediate requirements, growth plans, management of resources and budgets then create a clear strategy with Cloud computing at its core. Organisations should look for expert advice (You would not do your own dentistry), so select an IT Support provider with the right experience, technical and business process skillset who is aligned to your vision and values.