Advantages of the cloud
From the user’s point of view
- Easy and fastaccess to data at any time and on all devices, as well as the possibility to make data accessible to others;
- Collaborative work can be made easier, especially in the professional environment;
- Easy way to free up storage on the users’ own devices by transferring data such as photos to cloud storages.
From the point of view of companies
- From the point of view of companies, clouds are often geared towards saving effort and costs by outsourcing services to a public cloud, in particular reducing costs for the acquisition of hardware and software, for ongoing operations and for specialised staff to maintain the infrastructure.
- Another advantage can be the fast, individual adaptability of the services to the company’s own current needs. Since many cloud services are provided as self-service offers, they can be ordered and expanded in a short time with a few mouse clicks. This would also make it possible to connect additional locations with little effort.
- Two other important aspects are the reliability and the security of data. On the one hand, cloud computing can be used to ensure data backup and disaster recovery, especially if cloud services are run in a global network of data centres that are regularly upgraded to the latest generation of fast and efficient hardware. Access to resources, as well as access to sensitive computing facilities, is also subject to appropriate guidelines.
On the other hand, security concerns in particular are the main reason for a critical view of clouds.
