Lots of people and businesses are now opting to use the cloud to store their information, hearing that it is the safest and most reliable way to store documents. However, the question ‘what is cloud computing?’ is still on the minds of many people. Lots of us still don’t fully understand cloud computing or the reasons or benefits it should be used.

What Is The Cloud In Simple Terms?

The definition of cloud computing is a collection of servers that are only accessible over the internet. Software and databases are held in the cloud using multiple data centres. This means that your work or saved files are accessible wherever you are in the world.

How Does Cloud Computing Work?

Cloud computing means that people can access their systems, documents and databases wherever they are in the world using various internet connections and computers. This is made possible by a process called visualisation, which essentially creates a simulation of hardware virtually. This means that multiple sandboxed computers can be hosted on a single machine.

Before the cloud, all information would have been saved on the local device, meaning that people would need to log into the same computer each time to access their information.

There are different types of cloud services including:

Private clouds: This is a server dedicated to a single organisation to hold all their data remotely.

Public clouds: These are servers shared by multiple organisations and each one rents space on that server. This is normally for smaller businesses.

Hybrid clouds: This combines private and public servers depending on the types of data that an organisation wants to save and where they want to save it.

Multi-clouds: This is where larger organisations need to use multiple servers to host all their data, so some employees may use one server, while others use a different one.

The Benefits Of Cloud Computing

The cloud means that profiles can be set up which link to individual users. Logging into these profiles on any device will give you the same data and information. This has massive benefits for people travelling, as they don’t need to carry their personal computer with them when they move around.

It’s also a benefit to businesses, as people all over the world can access the same data at the same time through shared files, without having to send static information to each other via email. This has also aided hybrid working solutions, as people can access the same information from their personal and work computers with little effort.

The cloud computing system also allows users to access the same databases from multiple devices simultaneously. They can use a social media account on their phone and on a computer at the same time as long as they have the password, for example.

This makes it easier to recover data if you lose or break your initial device as it’s all stored remotely.

For businesses, cloud computing also saves money, as the servers that hold the data are hosted offsite, meaning they don’t need to be maintained and updated by the business. The business will simply pay for space used on offshore or remote servers which will be maintained by the provider.

Why Is It Called The Cloud?

It’s called ‘The Cloud’ because when the concept was originally invented, tech organisations visualised and drew diagrams resembling a cloud formation, creating this slang term for the virtual server model.

As it became more successful and widely used, this name stuck and the idea of storing data on an external server for accessibility ease is now named ‘The Cloud ‘worldwide.

If cloud based solutions seem like the right way forward for you or your business, PCS Systems offers a range of cloud solutions ideal for any sized organisation. Contact PCS Systems today for professional advice and support in keeping your data safe and accessible.