Cloud Computing - Three Questions to Ask Before Moving Your Business Applications to The Cloud

By Sarah E Pollock

If your company is running out of server space to hold all of its growing data, then you are not alone. The need for businesses to store data at an off-site location is growing faster than ever before; some reports out there have estimated around 70 percent per year. Thankfully, the ability to do this is now possible because of cloud computing, which is becoming more and more popular and accessible due to the expanding population of data centers sprouting up all across the globe.

If you are confused at to what exactly "cloud computing" is, here is a good explanation: cloud computing is a new hosting platform that is offered by cloud data centers and cloud providers. The great thing about it is that it provides businesses the ability to access powerful and reliable hosting based on cluster load-balancing servers and pay-as-you-go billing. It is basically virtual servers available over the internet. It's a way of increasing capacity or capabilities quickly without the investment of new infrastructure, new employee training, or new software licensing.

Cloud computing is a tempting choice for many businesses due to the potential cost savings it could provide. However, if you are thinking of moving an application to "the cloud," you are going to need to do your homework first to ensure that you are not only achieving the saving you desire, but the performance you desire as well.

First, take an in-depth look at your IT department's need for cloud computing and how it can help your business reach its long-term business goals. If you determine to move forward from there, it is important to consider the following three questions:

1.) Will cloud computing allow your business' applications to perform properly?

To determine this, you will need to look at how your application was built along with how it will operate in the cloud. Running a few performance tests before you choose a cloud provider can save you a lot of headaches in the long run by insuring that your application is compatible with how the provider built the cloud.

2.) Will your ability to use a shared infrastructure be hindered by any compliance considerations?

Depending on what type of application you are moving to the cloud, you will need to first check with your auditor to see if they will permit your firewall to become cloud-based. Some applications, especially those that involve credit card payments, must be firewall compliant in order to protect your customer's information.

3.) Can moving to the cloud fit my availability requirements?

If your business or organization has a high need for availability for its applications, it is best to find out first if the cloud provider you have in mind is able to meet your requirements. You can find this information out by combing though the provider's Service Level Agreement to see if they have provided this information.

By thoroughly going through and answering these three questions, your business will be on its way to making an informed decision in both choosing whether or not to move your applications to "the cloud" and also help you ask the right questions to determine what cloud provider will meet your individual needs. Making the right decision overall for your company will save you both time and money in the long run, and help you focus on what's important - running your actual business. After all, that is what you really want to spend your time on.

Sarah Pollock works as a Marketing Writing Coordinator for Global Communications Group, Inc. (GCG). We offer independent and unbiased data center consulting and data center facility tours to ensure that you find the right data center facility. Are you searching for the best data center service provider to support your business hosting and networking needs? At GCG, we represent all of the major data center service providers in the US and abroad. Data center solutions include colocation hosting, dedicated server hosting and networking services. Learn more about data center locations by visiting our brand new website: http://www.datacentermapping.com

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Cloud Computing: Australia's Answer for IT

Information technology is an ever-evolving business in Australia. Companies there are now looking for ways to take advantage of it. One of these ways is through cloud computing.

Author: Walter Scott

Can Australia handle the needs of the modern marketplace?The answer depends on how ready Australian companies are in meeting the demands of the time. Customer tastes and preferences have hanged, and so is the way they procure the goods and services they desire. Before, brick-and-mortar stores are the norm but, now, the Internet has become the new marketplace. This calls for the newer, better, and more powerful websites, all supported by web hosting providers that can deliver the best service and is able to meet the ever-changing demands of the market. To make this possible, cloud computing technology has been adapted. Using this method, network and website stability is ensured.

For a company that relies on information technology, especially on websites, getting good web hosting services is a must. This is because one of the biggest reasons why websites break down is because of the lack of enough server capacity to handle spikes in visitor traffic. To avoid something like that from happening, there is a need to increase the capacity of servers to handle traffic. For a large corporation, it would not be a problem, but for small and medium firms, it may be too expensive for their budget. This is precisely where cloud computing comes in. It's the next step in the evolution of information technology.

To start with, cloud computing opens up a lot of possibilities for the firm. For one, it removed the need for a company to have a server of their own on-site. Second, the cloud allows a company's employees to use just one set of software applications or programs, reducing the need to provide each one with a program of their own. As long as they are connected to the Internet, then it's possible to get the job done. And in case there is a spike in usage, a server working through the cloud can get additional help by getting connected to another server. This added flexibility is what makes this type of network very attractive.

Companies in Australia has long recognised the potentials present by cloud computing. In particular, it has helped reshape the way people work and the structure of an organization. These days, more and more people are finding that they can actually work in their homes. They just have to be connected to the Internet, and use the cloud to get the tasks for the day done. All they need to do is to have their server placed in a special location, like in colocation hosting, buy their own server and then rent it to users of the same website structure, like in reseller web hosting, or simply rent an entire server from a supplier, like in dedicated hosting. Now this is where various hosting provider services come in. Client companies can be provided server space by the suppliers, and they can also be provided additional service like increased security, round the clock maintenance, as well as increased server flexibility for demand spikes.

Flexibility is not just the reason why companies are looking. Computing through the cloud network is way cheaper than buying their own servers or application for each employee they have. In addition, it lets a company plan ahead and prepare for any changes in the market. They could decide to make a special promo in the website and still be able to handle the increase in visitor traffic, because they know that they can still add capacity. It's like a plug and play arrangement, which works well for companies that do not need to have a large server for those lean months, only for the few days that they would actually need one