Advantages And Disadvantages of Cloud Computing

Advantages of Cloud Computing

·     Cost Reduction: A cloud does away with the need for each user to put money in softwares or stand-alone servers that need a large start-up capital but are usually inadequately-utilized most of the time. With fast-paced technological innovations the norm today, these resources become outdated soon and need to be replaced for the best working efficiency. Cloud computing dispenses with the need for such repeated investments.

·     Speed and Scalability: Companies no longer need to invest time and money in buying and installing the hardware, software and other applications necessary for the operation. Instead, they can simply scale-up or scale-down their usage of the network’s services as per their needs.

·     Innovation: With the burden of managing resources off their backs, companies can concentrate on innovations that will make them more competitive. This helps in faster development, evaluation and final validation of their products and services.

·   Location Freedom: Providers of the service can build their infrastructure in places with lower overhead costs and pass on the savings to their customers.

·   Convenience: The only thing needed by a company to use this service is high-speed internet connectivity. The need for specialised equipment or personnel is completely eliminated. Billing is on actual consumption basis only while it’s also itemised to help the customer check costs.

·        Flexibility: Users can withdraw their subscription at their will which gives a fair degree of operational flexibility. The services are provided under level agreements which ensure that the service provider is penalised for any lapse in service. The cloud network can also be accessed from any device with internet connectivity.

Disadvantages of Cloud Computing

·    Dependence on Network Connectivity: This is the most glaring disadvantage as access to the network can be completely frozen if network connectivity is hampered. A slow network will also bottleneck the work output of cloud users.

·     Legal Ownership of Information: Every service provider will have its own terms and conditions regarding the data stored on its server farms. Proper reading and understanding of the fine print is necessary as this often contains information on issues like data theft, server and backup failure, distribution rights and rules which if breached might prevent data access to a user.

·        Cost: Cloud computing is financially quite viable in the long term. However, its cost is nowhere near cheap or affordable if you are setting it up on a smaller scale. There’s still a long way to go before cloud computing becomes a good and affordable solution for small-scale users.