4 Myths About Cloud Computing

Within the past few years the ever growing popularity of cloud computing has reached the mainstream population. Cloud computing can be defined as “the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet rather than a local server or a personal computer.”

Words like “The Cloud” have built themselves a mythos, for better or for worse, in our pop culture. A survey conducted by Citrix revealed that most American’s are not completely sure how the cloud operates yet said they did during an interview. To better help you understand how Google Apps for Work can help your business, we will debunk some of the more common misconceptions about The Cloud:

No Singular Cloud

One common misconception is that there's a singular cloud. A “Cloud” or a server farm remotely hosts your files. Companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon have created massive server farms across the globe, Google having twelve (six of which are located in the US). Each company has different methods to ensure security, reliability, and sustainability.

Security Concerns

Another concern that has many people skeptical about using the Cloud is security. Because hosting company files is now outsourced many worry that their privacy will be compromised in case of a breach. While this is true of any security breach, one must consider the fact that the companies hosting your files are much more highly trained in online security compared to your run-of-the-mill IT staff. Many companies are also trained in preventing DDoS or other cyber attacks and provide 24/7 support for their clients.

It's an Expensive Fad

The price of innovation is often large however having your files hosted on the cloud doesn’t have to be. Moore’s law dictates that every 18 months the cost of computer memory is reduced by half. Following this exponential curve we can anticipate that the costs of maintaining and improving a server farm are only going to decrease and these benefits are only going to be passed on to their clients. The economies of scale that are  provided by the Big 4 (Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Salesforce.com) are making it cheaper and cheaper to use the cloud. In the near future businesses are only going to see the Cloud as a more cost effective way to store their files.

It's Bad for the Environment

While it is true that server farms are major energy hogs, a large one typically consumes about as much electricity as a small US town, companies are using ingenious methods to reduce their energy consumption. Research done by Greenpeace shows that “Google maintains its leadership in building a renewable powered internet.” Facebook recently built one of its server farms at the edge of the arctic circle to harness the arctic air to cool the building and also using the heat of the servers to warm their offices. Methods like these are the reason that one massive server farm is more energy efficient than all combined servers that their clients would be using.

Whether you're already using the cloud or are thinking about taking the next step, we hope that our debunking of these misconceptions has given you a new found confidence about your decision. If you haven’t made the switch, contact us to learn more about the powerful things you can do with Google Apps for Work.