What Is Cloud Hosting?
Cloud hosting has become a common tool in the workplace, but it can still be a confusing service because it offers a broad range of solutions. Understanding more about the cloud is important to determine which service is right for you. Without this knowledge, there is no way to know what benefits the cloud can play in your business. Regardless, there is a great chance that you are already utilizing the cloud in your business.
At StatCounter, we provide our valued members with the resources to track their traffic and get a deep insight into their website. Evaluating the progress of your website is an important process to improve how effective your site is. Though we focus on websites, we do provide information about many other topics that are important to your website. Cloud hosting is a valuable tool, that’s why we have articles on the subject to improve your understanding of the service. Here, we’ll answer the question, what is cloud hosting?
Suggested Reading
Want to learn more about cloud hosting or web hosting? We have a lot of different articles that cover the many aspects of cloud and web hosting. You can take a look at some of the articles we’ve written below:
The Basics of Cloud Hosting
The best place to start with the cloud is with how it basically works. The cloud is made up of servers that host data or functions that are available through the Internet. A cloud server performs a certain task for a business. Cloud servers can provide software, platforms, or infrastructure to businesses. Each of these tools gives them a technological advancement that wasn’t available in the past. Here is a look at the three major services provided by the cloud.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
This is the most basic form of cloud hosting services. It is very likely that your business is using some form of SaaS. Most email services are achieved through cloud hosting technology. A very common example of SaaS is the Google Drive. The cloud service, itself, gives businesses access to software either for free or through monthly payments. There are many different types of plans available so it is a service that can appeal to many different businesses.
As far as price, there are so many SaaS offerings that allow businesses to use basic features of their software for free. For deeper use of the software, users need to pay to unlock features. Plans are typically paid monthly and allow users to take better advantage of the software. Outside of these types of software solutions that start out free, there are bigger software offerings that are paid right out of the gate.
Furthermore, cloud hosting services can be divided into three major categories that offer different solutions for businesses: SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS. Depending on what the business wants to accomplish through the cloud, they can choose the perfect cloud solution that fits their needs. Whether it’s accessing software from a remote location to hosting websites or applications, the cloud creates an environment businesses can access on-site or on the go. Further detail for the above-mentioned solutions are provided below:
Essential Definition
Infrastructure is the collection of physical and virtual components that are used to build, operate, and manage information technology services. The components consist of hardware, software, data centers, networks, facilities, and related equipment.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
This is the most basic form of cloud hosting services. It is very likely that your business is using some form of SaaS. Most email services are achieved through cloud hosting technology. A very common example of SaaS is the Google Drive. The cloud service, itself, gives businesses access to software either for free or through monthly payments. There are many different types of plans available so it is a service that can appeal to many different businesses.
SaaS has undergone a lot of growth over the years and there are more advanced software solutions that are available to businesses. Different types of software that perform huge tasks are more and more common to the cloud. Accounting, customer relationship management, and enterprise resource planning are examples of software that are performing more critical tasks that are now available through the cloud.
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
This service is different than SaaS because it is targeted at software developers. Developers utilize a cloud server as a platform where they can develop their tools. The cloud gives them an environment that works a bit like a playground where they can experiment with their creations and perfect their craft. For businesses that want to offer software or applications, PaaS removes the technical limitations from the picture and equips them with the perfect tools for the job.
On top of development, PaaS users can then take advantage of the platform to deliver their software solutions. PaaS ties together with SaaS by allowing developers to use cloud servers to make their solutions available on the Internet. Cloud services make it easy for businesses to use technology they normally wouldn’t have access to. This is more clearly seen by the next service, Infrastructure-as-a-Service.
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
This is the last major form of cloud hosting that is available for businesses. This type of cloud service gives businesses access to technology that would normally not be available to businesses due to the incredible costs. This eliminates the enormous amount of money needed to invest in servers and staff. IaaS serves as a business’s IT solution and all their technological needs are fulfilled through a cloud server.
A cloud server can be used by a business to perform any task. From IaaS, businesses get hardware, storage, and security. The servers are kept offsite in a data center. The data center acts as storage for the server and can keep it from overheating. Meanwhile, the data center is under surveillance to keep the data protected. Data centers are protected by physical personnel and other barriers to keep anybody from entering.
Cloud Storage
Another common use of the cloud is to store data. There are many cloud servers that are set aside for this purpose. Data storage is an important tool that many people use for their laptops, tablets, and smartphones. It allows users to avoid depleting their devices hard drive space and put their information on a cloud server. That information could then be accessed to view through an application that can see the files.
Finding extra storage can be an important tool for businesses. While data is digital, if the machine that holds the data is damaged, the data can still be lost. The cloud is a great solution to duplicate your files and keep a backup of important information. Often, cloud hosting companies keep another site with backups of your information so it can easily be recovered if disaster strikes.
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As our trusted domain and web hosting provider, 1&1 offers some of the most reputable cloud hosting solutions in the world. If you are considering 1&1 for your cloud hosting needs, be sure to look into their cloud hosting options.
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