In August of 2013, Google’s “Cloud Guy” Greg DeMichille, announced that the company’s cloud storage solution was processing over 4 trillion read/write processes monthly. That’s a lot of users simultaneously accessing, modifying and editing files on the cloud. Google’s transition into the cloud has been supported almost exclusively by enterprise users, with consumers using Google’s Drive service for free. Enterprise users pay a small fee based on a user and his data consumption.
This “pay as you go” model drives an entire industry of cloud providers that are competing for your business. The cloud isn’t just some buzzword anymore, it’s a legitimate technique for securing data.
How Data Centers Work
When you perform a Google search, or send an email through Gmail, that data is passed to one of many servers that Google maintains. In the beginning, these server clusters were used to power Google’s search algorithm, and its increasing catalog of data. All of those cat videos have to go somewhere, and that somewhere is the cache of their servers. When a user performs a query, it is like pinging the server for its data. That’s why results in the search page will change by region or sometimes by query.
For normal users with less data to process, data center functionality is equivalent to an external hard-drive. The primary difference is that the drive is located off-site.
Hosting Large Data
Anyone who accumulates user data, like lead generation companies or social networks, have a need for cloud storage. There are a few practical reasons:
• Cloud storage is often space efficient. Having servers in your office may require special equipment to cool them, and dedicated staff to maintain them.
• Cloud storage may be part of a backup solution.
Cloud storage also affects website data, which can change how fast a page loads or whether users see a site at all. Cloud storage is self-sufficient, but users can fall back on company support solutions for issues with uptime.
Cloud hosting also removes the troublesome practice of moving large files. Traditionally, email or messaging programs could be used to ferry data back and forth. Restrictions on file size presented a problem as assets grew, but cloud storage largely removes those issues by providing an access point for members of a team to work with.
Accessing Shared Data
Cloud data also serves as an important access point, allowing an increasing number of remote workers to work with data remotely and move it to and from cloud access points. Software developers can use the cloud to track projects they work on with development teams across the world. Lawyers can use the cloud to store important case files that can be accessed during business trips. Marketing teams can leverage the cloud to store assets and host the beautiful websites that advertise major product releases.
Safe Storage
Cloud servers often have multiple backups, which makes them an attractive solution for those concerned with data safety. User data stored in the cloud is often safer from intrustion because data centers tend to have better security than individuals. It’s not just how servers defend against oncoming threats, data centers create and maintain backups of your files.
These backups keep information safe during data center moving, where problems during the transfer can corrupt files. Some services even have assistance when you are moving your data, to prevent problems during the initial transfer and provide tips on how to automate your backup solutions.
With cloud storage, you might have multiple servers in different regions of the US or the world. Cloud storage lessens your liability, it’s safer for your users and it minimizes the personnel and space you need to dedicate toward your online operation.
