The marketplace for public cloud services is exploding in the 2010s. The market for public cloud services and enterprise cloud serverless computing has grown from $186.4 billion in 2018 to an expected revenue of $302 billion in 2021. With more and more consumers and businesses turning to public cloud providers for cloud-based services such as applications, cloud storage, and other computing resources, it’s more important than ever to understand the benefits of public clouds when compared to other types of cloud environments.
What is a Public Cloud Example?
There are countless examples of public cloud-based services. In reality, most people interact with a public cloud solution on a daily basis. For example, Google Apps is a popular public cloud environment that provides users with access to applications for word processing, database management, and collaboration that can be used multiple people at the same time on a variety of devices. Employees can work together across geographic boundaries on desktops, laptops, and various mobile devices. Examples of other public cloud solutions include:
- Microsoft Azure
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
What is the Public Cloud?
The public cloud is an environment in which computing services are provided by a third-party entity. Those computing resources are available via public internet connections. This makes those resources available to anyone willing to purchase access. In some cases, public cloud resources are available for free. For example, Gmail is an example of a public cloud environment that no one has to pay for in order to use. Other public cloud platforms, such as infrastructure, platforms, and software are available on-demand. You can purchase as much or as little access as needed to support your business operations.
A public cloud environment can be similar in nature to a private cloud. For example, it is possible for a third-party to host either a public or private cloud environment. In a public cloud environment, your company shares the computing resources available on the platform with all other registered users. A private cloud environment has the added benefit of ensuring only your business benefits from the data storage servers, software applications, and security measures included in the environment.
How does Public Cloud Work?
A public cloud is structured in the same manner as a private cloud, in most cases. Both environments use a variety of technologies to virtualize computing resources such as data storage, security programs, and software applications. These computing resources are pooled together into a shared environment and feature layers of administrative control over that environment with the option to automate self-service functions.
In a public cloud environment, those resources are accessible by all clients using the platform with computing power spread across all of the clients. Management of those resources and applications is often controlled by the provider in a public cloud environment. A private cloud goes further by dedicating the resources to one client and provides you, as the client, with the power to manage the environment and its resources.
For a public cloud to work correctly, the technology that powers the cloud platform has to integrate with existing IT infrastructure within your company. Virtualization, management, and automation software power the cloud environment with an operating system supporting it all. The consistency, reliability, and the flexible nature of the operating system supporting a cloud environment will determine how strong the connection is between the physical resources powering the cloud and your employees as the end-user.
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How Beneficial is Public Cloud Computing?
Cloud-computing services shouldn’t be viewed as one type of technology, but rather a mixture of many technology solutions. For example, a public cloud can offer your business computing resources such as IT infrastructure to help power daily business operations. This is known as IaaS via a public cloud. The most robust example of a public cloud is an SaaS solution that delivers infrastructure, development applications, and software applications to businesses via a public cloud platform. So, what kind of benefits does public cloud computing deliver?
The benefits most frequently cited for public clouds include the following:
- Reduced expenses: with no need for private servers onsite, companies can save capital and recurring costs by turning to an infrastructure solution powered by a public cloud. Maintaining servers, updating software applications, and ensuring security for the cloud environment are all the responsibility of the cloud provider. Your business pays a monthly fee for access.
- Less need for onsite support: while you will still need IT staffing to maintain onsite networking to connect to the internet and devices for employees, the hassle of supporting servers, a data center, and software applications all falls on the cloud service providers instead of your business. Not only does this reduce the burden on your IT staff, it further saves money on added staff.
- Disaster recovery: public cloud environments spread out computing resources across a variety of sites. Even if power loss results in a disruption of access in one location, computing resources can be spread out across the rest of the network to maintain uptime for users. Additionally, this ensures that your company can quickly get back online and active in the event of a disaster, natural or otherwise.
While these are the most common benefits of a public cloud solution, these are not the only benefits of working with a service provider that offers a public cloud environment. There are advantages that a public cloud offers that enable your business to grow without suffering from growing pains in the process. Additionally, those advantages enhance the performance of your business on a daily basis.
What are the Advantages of the Public Cloud?
There are numerous advantages of cloud computing, but what are the benefits of public cloud? Public cloud providers go to great lengths to ensure the advantages of a public cloud environment are available without interruption. Below, you will find a variety of advantages that come with a public cloud environment:
- Public clouds have near-limitless space. The only constriction on bandwidth and storage in data centers is the number of servers available. The average public cloud provider provides your business with all the bandwidth it needs for most cloud-based applications. As such, you really cannot surpass your storage space and performance.
- Public clouds tend to have the most up-to-date technology. While maintaining your own data center in-house would require constant investments of capital to upgrade servers, software, and security applications, public clouds spread this cost across all users. This enables the cloud provider to ensure each user has access to up to date hardware.
- Flexibility. Your employees can access cloud servers and applications anytime, anywhere. This frees up your staff to remain productive in the office, on the bus, and at home. Public cloud computing resources are available anywhere your employees can access the internet, allowing them to connect to data storage and use applications whenever needed.
Is a Public Cloud Safe?
Generally speaking, a public cloud is a safer environment than an on premises solution for any business. Public cloud environments have the following security measures in place that ensure the security of your data in the public cloud:
- For a public cloud provider that focuses solely on providing access to cloud-based services, a lot of time and money is spent ensuring the security of that environment so users know their sensitive data is safe. Cyber security isn’t an area where you should be looking to cut corners for a cost savings regardless if you are going with a public cloud infrastructure or any other cloud-based solution.
- A good public cloud environment undergoes regular penetration testing as an act of ongoing security. This helps show the cloud managers where potential gaps in security exist and enable them to close those gaps before hackers can take advantage.
One of the most important factors to look for in judging the security of your public cloud provider is compliance. For businesses that operate within the financial services, healthcare, and government services industries, data storage and security requirements must adhere to HIPAA and SOX guidelines. Any company that handles credit card transactions must ensure that Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance is in place. In these cases, it is not enough for a public cloud provider to tell you they conduct regular security checks. Audit documents must be made available that show regular compliance with security regulations and guidelines.
In the end, a business must decide between using a public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud. Solutions such as CompleteCloud from Avatara offer all the benefits and advantages of a public cloud environment, such as affordable access to data storage and software applications with first-rate security, with the added benefit of the dedicated resources and scalability of a private cloud environment. CompleteCloud can be structured to the precise needs of your business while matching your financial limitations at the same time.
A private cloud environment such as CompleteCloud dedicates all computing resources to your company. Your employees remain productive with access to computing resources from anywhere they can connect to the internet. Best of all, Avatara takes care of security compliance and ensures your resources are consistently online and available for use. You know the benefits of a public cloud. Compare those benefits to your needs and compare the overall value of a public cloud to a private cloud such as CompleteCloud before virtualizing your business operations.
Want to Learn More?
Interested in learning about more benefits of cloud computing? Unsure of which cloud model or type of cloud platform is best your business? Don’t know how to choose a cloud service provider? We are constantly putting great new content on our blog to help individuals make intelligent and business decision about IT. So whether your considering a hybrid cloud computing model, looking at virtual machines, or just want to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the three main cloud models, we have the answers for you. Browse our blog or give us a call and our consultants can help field any of your questions and point you towards the best solution for your business.
