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You’re probably no stranger to the “Cloud”. It serves you in your daily life and you probably don’t realize it. It also has tremendous benefits for your business. In this article, we dive deep into the benefits and risks of using cloud computing, plus the types of deployment models of cloud computing, hybrid, public and private cloud . It’s also important to comprehend the 3 main types of cloud computing, which are IaaS, PaaS, SaaS. Once you can easily differentiate these, you’ll be able to choose which one your business will benefit from.
What is Cloud Computing?
First of all, imagine moving all your computer hardware, software, database, and other from your physical office to a more secure site and have them delivered to you via the internet. Cloud computing is a computing model tasked with running workloads in that environment.
Virtualization solution in cloud computing is used to replace physical files, servers, networks, files, applications, devices, and infrastructure with computer-generated versions, which are hosted and managed by a service provider. Providers use management software to automate repeatable processes to enable on-demand self-service via URL or mobile app, and control the data, security features, storage capacity, and computing power required to transmit data between user devices and the cloud.
Nowadays, almost everyone is using one in one way or the other. A cloud-based application or service, like Dropbox, Netflix, Instagram, are all forms of cloud computing.
How does cloud computing work?
Cloud computing is a decentralized environment to share information through networks. Every cloud-based application has a host, and the hosting company, (like AWs, Azure, iCloud) is responsible for maintaining the massive data centers that provide the security, storage capacity and computing power needed to maintain all of the information users send to the cloud. These hosting companies can sell the rights to other companies to use their clouds and store data on their networks, while also offering the end user an application or software.
How can your business benefit from cloud computing?
Of course,there are many benefits to using cloud computing, but there are some risks too. We listed the main ones:
Cloud Computing Benefits | Cloud Computing Risks |
---|---|
Faster Deployment There’s no wait for computing resources. |
Require trusting a cloud platform provider For availability and data security |
Usage-based pricing Letting you pay only for what you use |
Can raise legal/ regulatory concerns With storing data outside customer premises |
Less financial risk With lower up-front investment in hardware and software |
Can be harder to integrate With on-premises software |
Reduced need for on-premises resources Such as servers and IT staff |
Can have lower performance Than on-premises platforms |
Easier upgrades With no on-premises software to update |
Can give developers less control Than on-premises platforms |
Resource distribution:
It allows multiple users to share the same resources. Regardless of the location, you can remotely access the resource pool via the internet. Dropbox, used for sharing files, is a good example.
Accessible via the Internet:
Services rendered by the cloud provider must be available over the internet. So if you have internet access, you will be able to use the services.
Available on demand:
You should be able to access the services whenever you want. For example, you can Netflix anywhere without restriction. If you are hosting your data in a remote location, the hosting provider must guarantee the availability of your data 99.9% of the time.
Flexibility:
Flexibility is one of the most important benefits for a business. Increase or decrease the resources according to your needs without encountering a decline in user experience.
Analytics:
Cloud computing should provide you with some analytics on resource allocation, usages, and activity logs. The information will help you make proactive decisions when necessary.
Furthermore, we have listed the main differences between the 3 types of cloud computing: IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.

Cloud Computing Deployment Models
There are three types of cloud computing deployment models, also known as cloud environments. Depending on your business needs, you can either choose to run your applications on a hybrid, public and private cloud. Let’s dive into it:
Public Cloud
Public cloud environment is owned and managed by a third party provider. It’s accessible through the internet on a monthly pay-per-use cloud computing model. Normally, public cloud providers offer IaaS, PaaS or SaaS services to their customers (learn more about it below). Businesses usually choose a public cloud as their cloud deployment model as its cost-effective, highly reliable, scalable and easy to manage. However, choosing a public cloud is not always the most secure option for sensitive data.
Private Cloud
A private cloud, also known as an internal cloud or corporate cloud, in which all hardware and software resources are dedicated and accessible to only one customer. Businesses that opt for this cloud computing deployment model use it because it is often the only way to meet their strict regulatory compliance requirements (think healthcare, government). Other benefits include the customization aspect and the level of control you have over it. The cons are that it requires a lot of IT resources, so it becomes costly and it’s not remote work-friendly.
Hybrid Cloud
Last but not least type of cloud computing deployment model is hybrid cloud. A hybrid cloud is a combination of both models, public and private. It has the benefits of both cloud computing deployment models and it provides a more custom and flexible IT solution that meets business requirements.The drawback of using a hybrid cloud is since it uses both models, there might be conflict in the communication of both networks.
Types of Cloud Services
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
In the first place, infrastructure refers to the computers and the servers that run code, store the data. It also includes all the wires and appliances that make the connections between these machines. You’ve probably heard the words “hard drives”, “routers,” before. They’re all part of the infrastructure. Before the technology of cloud computing, everything was based on these. Infrastructure as a Service, are well known for being self-service models. Nowadays, with IaaS, you can access, monitor, manage all your data virtually instead of owning hardware.
In addition, Iaas allows businesses to buy an infrastructure based on their needs, like consumption, storage, etc. The downside to an IaaS is that you probably still need an IT team since these types of software don’t come with applications or an operating system. It only gives you access to the infrastructure needed for power or storage.
The most common IaaS are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Compute Engine.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
On the contrary, Platform-as-a-Service provides a little more assistance when it comes to managing different applications. In fact, the biggest advantage of using a PaaS is that there’s no need to spend your resources on building and maintaining the infrastructure. According to Gartner, PaaS let enterprises analyze their data to find business insights and patterns of behavior, so they can make better decisions and more accurately predict future events such as market demand for products,
AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Windows Azure, Heroku, Force.com, Google App Engine, Apache Stratos, OpenShift, are all PaaS that are commercially available.
Software as a Service (Saas)
Finally, also known as “Cloud Applications Services”, Software as a Service is the most popular out there. The majority of SaaS can be used on your browser without any download or installation. Most importantly, everything is managed by the providers, which makes it user-friendly. There’s a lot of advantages to using SaaS:
- Users can access their data from anywhere, as long as they have an Internet connection. Furthermore, your data is stored in the cloud, so you won’t lose any of it, it’s backed up and secure.
- Since the majority of SaaS are subscription-based services, you pay for your needs and it’s easily adjustable.
- You don’t need an IT team to run the software. Since you can run it in your browser, there’s no need to install plug-ins or deploy more resources.
- Software are created to manage your tasks, clients, finances, and projects efficiently. In fact, it can improve your workload immensely.
As a matter of fact, your business is probably using some SaaS. Our favorites virtual collaboration tools help us to be more productive as a remote team.

Why would you need cloud computing?
To sum it up, it can be confusing knowing what your workplace needs. In order to help you understand this world of cloud computing, we created a glossary where you’ll find plenty of helpful definitions.
Lastly, to figure out which out of the cloud computing deployment models and services that would work best for your needs, it’s important to know what your end-goal is. Here are some common questions you could ask yourself.
- Are you anxious about the growing Security, Backups & Regulatory Compliance risk?
- Do you need to ensure a remote work method for your employee without worrying about compatibility (or data theft)?
- You want to decrease the device and software expenses? You don’t want to tie up capital with hardware and software, or continuously pay for upgrades.
- Is your IT department too expensive to keep?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you probably need a cloud desktop. V2 Cloud offers highly secured data storage. V2 Cloud can also be accessed by any modern device that is connected to the internet, anywhere in the world.

Additionally, V2 Cloud’s virtual desktop solutions allow you to pay for only what you need. It converts your capital expenditure on equipment and software upgrades into a monthly operating cost. You get the best IT infrastructure and maintenance services for a fraction of the price. You will significantly reduce your expenses on an IT department by moving your entire infrastructure to a fully managed, cloud-hosted environment.
Cloud computing, if done right, takes away a lot of IT headaches from your day-to-day business. With a customer service that provides constant support, V2 Cloud has everything to help you start your journey.

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