11 Frequently Asked Questions About Cloud Service

With many businesses already having positioned themselves on the cloud for efficiency and savings, you’d think that there’s a fairly good understanding about cloud storage and what it can do for you. Even though 94% of all businesses use at least some form of cloud service, only about 50% of all corporations currently store their business-critical data there. That means many companies are still in the process or considering a move to the cloud. Here are some of the questions most often asked about cloud computing, and the answers may be helpful in having you reach a decision for your own business.

Frequently asked questions

Q: How safe is the cloud?

A: While the cloud is subject to constant attack from cyber criminals, most providers have some excellent security measures in place. When negotiating with a particular provider, be sure to find out what kind of security they have in place.

Q: Is cloud storage still popular?

A: Absolutely. It is currently a $370 billion dollar business, and by the year 2025 it is expected to soar to the astronomical level of $832 billion.

Q: How many companies actually use cloud service currently?

A: Approximately 94% of all companies use some kind of cloud services, even if they don’t have their company data stored there.

Q: What’s the difference between private, public, and hybrid clouds?

A: Private clouds are only used by a single enterprise, which means they would then maintain all the hardware and infrastructure. A public cloud is used by multiple businesses, and none of these would be responsible for any kind of maintenance. A hybrid cloud is one which allows you to use both a private cloud and a public one when it is advantageous for you to do so.

Q: How much data is actually stored on the cloud?

A: By the time 2025 rolls around, there will be more than 100 zettabytes stored on the cloud. A zettabyte is equivalent to one billion terabytes, or one trillion gigabytes. Also by 2025, there will be more than 200 zettabytes of data stored on all media, with half that being on the cloud.

Q: Who is the biggest provider of cloud services?

A: At present, the largest provider of cloud services is Amazon Web Services. Amazon has about 31% of the total market share, which is considerable, given the number of companies making use of the service.

Q: Which geographic region has the biggest share of cloud computing services?

A: By far, North America uses the biggest share of cloud services, at a whopping 61%. The next closest area would be Western Europe, at a distant 21%.

Q: How did COVID-19 impact cloud services?

A: COVID-19 caused a sudden flock of businesses to join the cloud, because so many workers were obliged to do remote work at that time.

Q: What is a data warehouse?

A: It is a setup which can incorporate both current and historical data, because businesses often have a need for detailed analysis of data. A data warehouse is capable of handling all these needs, because it is designed to handle long-range data needs over a period of time.

Q: What is microservices architecture?

A: This type of architecture allows a very large application to be broken down into smaller, functional applications so that services can be provided to the requestor much more quickly and efficiently.

Q: What are containers?

A: These are self-contained packages including all the elements necessary to run in virtually any kind of computing environment. Development teams often make use of containers, because they facilitate rapid development and efficient deployment.

Ready to join the cloud?

At some point in the near future, most businesses will be situated on the cloud. Now is the time for your company to make the move, and realize some of the same advantages and benefits that other companies have been enjoying for years already. You will probably save money on monthly operating costs, and you’ll gain some remarkable efficiencies while doing so. Contact us today to get setup for the exciting world of cloud service.