Cloud Technology: What You Need to Know About Application Hosting

Be it websites, gaming, or business-specific applications, everything is making a move to the cloud. According to Forbes, about 83 percent of the Enterprise workload is expected to migrate to the cloud by 2020.

So, what is it that makes cloud a viable option for application hosting?

Look at it this way.

The legacy IT systems in your local premises that all of us are familiar with do not offer the ability to change the system specifications without hardware replacement. Once an application is installed in your local system, it cannot be accessed from anywhere else. You can use remote access software like TeamViewer, but it does not offer you nearly the same performance.

Also, what if the local system malfunction or the data gets corrupted? Is your data secure in that case? The local systems are susceptible to wear and tear, and any data stored in it is not secure.

In comparison to the legacy IT systems, cloud technology offers more flexibility, mobility, and security for the application and the data. Let’s see how.

1. The Comfort of Remote Access

Cloud technology offers you the comfort of mobility. You can access your cloud-hosted application anywhere and anytime. The application and data are hosted on cloud servers kept in remote data centers, which you can access with your portable end-point devices like smartphones, laptops, and tablets through the Internet.

You can access your application even while traveling or from your home. The remote access feature helps maintain a work-life balance as you can manage time better. It also cuts down additional efforts like commutation to office, reducing mental stress and improving productivity.

2. Customize as You Please

With cloud computing, you can ask for the optimum environment for your application. Unlike local setup, you can choose any Operating System as you like. As the OS is not bound to the hardware, you can change the OS from Windows to Linux without hampering your data or application.

Moreover, you get any amount of storage and server specifications for your applications. If there is a requirement of add-ons for the application, you can easily install them without any hardware restrictions.

3. Flexible Pricing

One of the most attractive benefits of hosting your applications on the cloud is the flexible pricing structure offered by the service providers. The cloud application hosting is a pay-as-you-use pricing model. It means that the providers charge as per the resources you utilize over a period of time. Some application hosting providers charge you on a monthly basis, while others charge you annually.

For instance, if you opt for 4GB RAM and 1 TB storage, you will be charged accordingly. If you decide to reduce your RAM to 2GB, the charges will be reduced accordingly. You can also opt out of the cloud services anytime you want.

4. High-end Security

Cloud offers advanced levels of security for your data. As the application data is stored in cloud servers situated in remote data centers, any mishap to your local devices has no effect on it. The end-point device merely serves the purpose of connecting to the cloud. Hence, even if it is stolen, the data is safe and secure on the cloud.

Moreover, the cloud providers make sure that the application is secure through the implementation of security methods such as data encryption, multi-factor authentication, Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems, among others.

5, On-demand Scaling

With your application on the cloud, you can scale your server resources as per requirement. For instance, you host an e-commerce website on the cloud. At a certain time of the year or month, you want more processing power than other times.

You can easily upgrade or downgrade your server resources without the need for hardware replacement. This prevents you from buying high-end hardware, even if you do not need it.

6. Reduce Capex and Opex

With your application on the cloud, you can reduce both your capital as well as operational expenses. As you can access the cloud with the most basic hardware (even thin clients), there is no need to buy high-end hardware for your application.

Moreover, most of the cloud providers offer round-the-clock customer support and take care of your issues like setup, troubleshooting, upgrade, and maintenance. Hence, you do not need an in-house IT team to take care of your issues.

Wrapping Up!

If you have installed your application on the local systems, it is time to move it on the cloud. With application hosting, you will not only save costs but also improve the performance of the application. As most application hosting providers offer a free trial of their services, it is recommended that you try the services before opting for it.