A Term Paper Report on

“CLOUD COMPUTING”
Submitted in the partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the
Degree

BACHELOR BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

(AMITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS KOLKATA, AUK)

NAME; MASUD HASAN

BATCH: BBA3A(2017-20)

ENROLLMENT NO.: A90606417011

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 CERTIFICATE OF RECOMMENDATION

I hereby recommend that the thesis prepared under my supervision by Mr. Masud
Hasan(Enrol.-A9060641701) entitled “Cloud Computing” be accepted in partial
fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of BACHELORS OF BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION(2017-20).

RIBHU ROY
(Mentor)

COUNTERSIGNED

Dr. Sudeshna Pahari

(PROGRAMME COORDINATOR,BBA)

Dr. Debargho Bagchi

(HOD, Amity School of Business Kolkata)

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 CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL

The foregoing thesis is hereby approved as a credible study of a business management

subject carried out and presented in a manner satisfactory to warrant its acceptance as a
prerequisite to the degree for which it is submitted. It is understood that by by this
approval, the undersigned do not necessarily endorse or approve any statement made,
opinion expressed or conclusion drawn therein, but approve the thesis only for the
purpose for this it is submitted.

Committee on
Final examination
For evaluation of
The Thesis ___________________

3
 


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Term Paper Report on “CLOUD COMPUTING" is the result of the

orientation, moral support and devotion that I have received throughout
my work. For this, I acknowledge and express my deep sense of gratitude
and thanks to all those who have been a source of inspiration during the
preparation of the Term Paper Report. First of all, I offer my sincere words
of thanks to our mentor Mr. Ribhu Ray Sir, professor of the Amity School
Of Business Kolkata, AUK and to Mr Biplab Biswas professor of the
Amity School Of Business Kolkata, AUK and guide of my Term Paper for
offering help when necessary.
If I can say it in words, at the beginning I must offer gratitude to Amity
School Of Business Kolkata, AUK for providing such a stimulating and
nurturing environment for students to learn grow and develop.

Masud Hasan

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 Table Of Contents.
1. Abstract …………………………………………………… 6

2. Introduction……………………………………………….. 7-8

3. Cloud computing – The Concept…………………………. 9-11

4. History…………………………………………………….. 12-13

5. Need For Cloud Computing………………………………..14-15

6. Key Characteristics………………………………………… 16-17

7. Components…………………………………………….. .…18-22

8. Architecture…………………………………………………23

9. Types……………………………………………………….. 24

10. Roles……………………………………………………….. 25-26

11. Advantages…………………………………………… ….. 27-30

12. Disadvantages…………………………………………….. 31-32

13. How businesses use cloud computing?……………………33-35

14. Real life example of cloud computing…………………….36-37

15. Conclusion………………………………………………….38


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 1.Abstract

Computers have become an indispensable part of life. We need computers everywhere, whether for
work, research or in any field. As the use of computers increases in our daily lives, the computing
resources we need also increase. For companies like Google and Microsoft, leveraging resources
when they need it is not a problem. But when it comes to smaller businesses, affordability becomes
a huge factor. With the huge infrastructure problems such as machine failures, hard drive failures,
software errors, etc. arise. This could be a big headache for such a community. Cloud Computing
offers a solution to this situation.

Cloud computing is a model shift in which computing moves away from personal computers and
even the server of individual business applications to a "cloud of computers". A cloud is a group of
virtualised servers that can provide different computing resources to their clients. The users of this
system only have to worry about the computer service that is requested. The underlying details of
how it is achieved are hidden from the user. The data and services provided reside in massively
scalable data centres and can be accessed from any connected device worldwide.

Cloud computing is the style of computing in which IT-related capabilities are provided on a
massive scale as a service through the Internet for multiple external clients and are billed for
consumption. Many cloud computing providers have appeared and there is considerable growth in
the use of this service. Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, IBM and Amazon have started to provide cloud
computing services. Amazon is the pioneer in this field. Smaller companies like SmugMug, which
is an online photo hosting site, have used cloud services to store all the data and perform some of
their services.

Cloud computing is finding use in several areas such as web hosting, parallel batch processing,
graphics processing, financial modelling, web crawling, genomic analysis, etc.

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 2.Introduction

Data and programs now a days are being swept from desktop PCs and corporate server rooms and
are being installed in the "computing cloud." In general, there is a change in the geography of
information technology.

What exactly is cloud computing? Here is a definition.

"An emerging computer model where data and services reside in massively scalable data centres in
the cloud and can be accessed from any device connected through the Internet"

Like other definitions of topics such as these, an understanding of the term cloud computing
requires an understanding of several other terms that are closely related to this. While there is a lack
of precise scientific definitions for many of these terms, general definitions can be given.

Cloud computing is an emerging paradigm in the computer industry where computing moves to a
cloud of computers. It has become one of the buzzwords of the industry. The central concept of
cloud computing is simply that the vast computing resources we need will reside somewhere in the
computer cloud and we will connect to them and use them when necessary.

Computing can be described as any activity of use and / or development of computer hardware and
software. It includes everything found in the lower layer, that is, everything from raw computing
power to storage capacities. Cloud computing unites all these entities and offers them as a single
integrated entity under their own sophisticated management.

Cloud is a term used as a metaphor for wide area networks (such as the Internet) or any large
network environment. In part, it comes from the symbol similar to a cloud that is used to represent
the complexities of networks in schematic diagrams. It represents all the complexities of the
network, which can include cables, routers, servers, data centres and all other devices.

Computing began with the mainframe era. There were big mainframes and all connected to them
via "dumb" terminals. This old model of business computing was frustrating for the people who sat
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at the stupid terminals because they could only do what they were "authorised" to do. They were
dependent on the computer administrators to give them permission or solve their problems. They
had no opportunity to follow the latest innovations.

The personal computer was a rebellion against the tyranny of centralised computing operations.
There was a kind of freedom in the use of personal computers. But this was later replaced by server
architectures with enterprise servers and others that emerged in the industry. This ensured that the
data processing was done and it did not devour any of the resources one had with it. The entire
calculation was done on servers. Internet grew in the round of this server. With cloud computing we
have closed a complete circle. We come back to the centralised computer infrastructure. But this
time it's something that's easily accessible over the Internet and we're in control of everything.

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3. Cloud computing- The Concept

Cloud computing is an Internet-based ("cloud") development and use of computer technology

("computing"). It's a kind of computing that provides dynamically scalable and often virtualized
resources as a service over the Internet. Users do not need knowledge about the technology
infrastructure "in the cloud" that they use, expertise or control.
The concept includes Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), as well as Web 2.0 and other current technology trends that rely on
the Internet needs the user. Examples of SaaS providers include Salesforce.com and Google Apps,
which provide general business applications online that are accessed through a web browser while
the software and data are stored on the servers.
The term cloud is used as a metaphor for the Internet, based on the representation of the Internet in
computer network diagrams, and is an abstraction of the complex infrastructure it hides.

3.1 Comparison:

Cloud computing is often confused with grid computing ("a form of distributed computing in which
a" super and virtual computer "is made up of a group of loosely coupled, networked computers
acting in concert to perform very large tasks "), utility computing" conditioning of computing
resources, such as computing and storage, as a measured service similar to a traditional utility such
as electricity ") and standalone computing ("computer systems capable of self-management").
In fact, many cloud computing depend on grids, have stand-alone features, and are similar to
utilities, but cloud computing can be seen as a natural next step in the utility model. grid. Some
successful cloud architectures have little or no centralised infrastructure or billing systems,
including peer-to-peer networks like Bit Torrent and Skype.

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3.2 Implementation:

Most cloud computing infrastructure starting in 2018 consists of reliable services provided by data
centres and built on servers with different levels of virtualisation technologies. Services are
accessible wherever access to network infrastructure is available. The cloud appears as a single
point of access for all consumer computing needs. Commercial offers must meet customer service
quality requirements and generally offer service level agreements. Open standards are essential to
the growth of cloud computing and open source software has been the foundation of many cloud
implementations.

3.3 Characteristics:

Since customers do not usually own the infrastructure, they simply have access to or rent, hey can
avoid capital expenditures and consume resources as a service by paying for what they use. Many
cloud computing offerings have embraced the utility computing model, which is similar to the way
traditional utilities such as electricity are consumed, while others are billed on a subscription basis. .
Sharing "perishable and intangible" computing power among multiple tenants can improve
utilization rates because servers are not left idle, which can significantly reduce costs while
speeding up application development. A side effect of this approach is that "IT capacity increases
dramatically" as customers do not have to prepare for peak loads. The adoption was made possible
by the "increased bandwidth high speed", which allows to receive the same response time from a
centralized infrastructure located on other sites.

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3.4 Economics:

Cloud computing users can avoid capital expenditures on hardware, software and services, by
paying a provider only for what they use. Consumption is billed on the basis of a public service (for
example, consumed resources, such as electricity, data) or a subscription (for example, time-based,
such as a newspaper) with low or no initial cost . Other benefits of this time-sharing approach
include: low barriers to entry, infrastructure and shared costs, low overhead costs, and immediate
access to a wide range of applications. Users can usually terminate the contract at any time (thus
avoiding the risk of return on investment and uncertainties) and services are often covered by
service level agreements with financial penalties.

According to Nicholas Carr, a technology writer, the strategic importance of information technology
is decreasing as it becomes standardized and less expensive. He argues that the model shift in cloud
computing is similar to the shift of electricity generators through power grids in the early 20th
century.

3.5 Companies:

Providers including Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Yahoo exemplify the use of cloud computing.
It is being adopted by individual users through large enterprises including General Electric, L'Oréal,
and Procter & Gamble.

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 4. History

The ‘cloud’ is a long-standing term in telephony, which has been adopted over the last decade as a
metaphor for Internet services, with a common representation in network diagrams as a cloud
outline.

The underlying concept dates back to 1960, when John McCarthy was of the opinion that "the
calculation may one day be organized as a public service"; in fact, it shares features with service
offices dating back to the 1960s. The term "cloud" was already used commercially in the early
1990s to designate large ATM networks. At the end of the twenty-first century, the term "cloud
computing" began to appear, even if the focus was on software-as-a-service (SaaS).

In 1999, Salesforce.com was created by Marc Benioff, Parker Harris and his colleagues. They have
applied many technologies from traditional websites such as Google and Yahoo! to commercial
applications. They also provided the concept of "on demand" and "SaaS" with their real business
and successful customers. The key for SaaS is to be customizable by the customer alone or with a
little help. The flexibility and speed of application development has been radically welcomed and
accepted by business users.

IBM extended these concepts in 2001, as detailed in the Autonomic Computing Manifesto, which
describes advanced automation techniques such as automatic monitoring, automatic optimization,
automatic configuration, and automatic tuning in the management of complex IT systems, servers,
applications, networks, security mechanisms and other heterogeneous storage elements that can be
virtualized within an enterprise.

Amazon.com played a key role in the development of cloud computing by modernizing its data
centers after the dotcom bubble and seeing that the new cloud architecture had significantly
improved internal efficiencies, providing access to their systems via Amazon Web Services in 2005
on a computer utility basis.

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In 2007, Google, IBM and several universities embarked on a major research project on cloud
computing. At the beginning of its popularity, this term has gained popularity in the mainstream
press. In mid-2008, the subject was hot and many events on cloud computing had been scheduled.

In August 2008, Gartner Research reported that "companies are moving away from hardware and
software to take advantage of usage-based models" and that "the move to cloud computing will lead
to dramatic growth of IT products in some areas" . areas and significant reductions in other areas “.

At present there are hundreds of companies offering cloud computing services to various
organisations across the world. Its not only the foreign companies but also home grown companies
such as TCS, INFOSYS, WIPRO etc are also having the bite of the sweet pie. These companies
have grown to be giants in the IT sector. And are providing tough competition the their foreign
counterparts. TCS, an IT company, is ranked as one of the most valuable company in India.


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 5. Need for Cloud Computing
What could we do with 1000 times more data and computing power? A simple question. This is
a matter of relevance because the amount of data an application processes increases daily, as well as
the power of the processor that can be exploited.

There are many answers to this question. With so much computing power, our businesses could
reach 1,000 times more users. We are currently collecting statistics on each user using an
application. With such computational power, we can monitor every click and every user interaction
so that we can collect all user statistics. We could improve user referral systems. We could model
better price plan choices. With this processor power, we could simulate the case where we would
have 100,000 users in the system without any problem.

We could do a lot of other things with so much computing power and data capabilities. But what
holds us back. One of the reasons is the resulting large-scale architecture, which is difficult to
manage. The architecture we need to support can present many problems. Machines may start to
fail, hard drives may fail, the network may fail, and many other hardware problems. The hardware
must be designed so that the architecture is reliable and scalable. This large architecture has a high
initial cost and high maintenance costs. It requires different resources, such as machines, power
supply, cooling, etc. The system can not evolve as needed and is not easily reconfigurable.

Resources are also constrained by resources. When applications become large, they become I / O
related. Hard disk access speed becomes a limiting factor. Although the raw power of the available
processor may not be a factor, the amount of available RAM clearly becomes a factor. This is also
limited in this context. If the hardware problems are very well managed, the result is software
problems. There may be bugs in the software using so much data. The workload also requires
performing two important tasks for two completely different people. The software must be such
that it is free of bugs and has good data processing algorithms to handle all the data.

Cloud computing works in the cloud - so there are large, often inexpensive server groups with
specialized connections to distribute data processing tasks among themselves. Since many
inexpensive servers are connected to each other, large resources are available. So, these offer almost
unlimited computing resources. This reduces the issue of availability of resources.

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Application data can also be stored in the cloud. Data storage in the cloud has many advantages
over other storages. One thing is that the data is evenly distributed in the cloud, so there are multiple
copies of the data and there are ways to detect a failure and rebalance the data on the fly. I / O
operations are becoming simpler in the cloud browsing and searching for something in large pool of
data becomes simpler in the cloud, which is almost impossible to perform on a desktop.

Cloud computing applications also provide automatic reconfiguration of resources based on service
level agreements. When we use applications on a computer, scaling the application to the load is a
trivial task because resources must be collected and provided to users. If the load on the application
is such that it is only present for a short period of time from when it is running, but it occurs
frequently, resource scaling becomes so tedious. But when the application is in the cloud, the load
can be managed by spreading it over the other available nodes by creating a copy of the application.
This can be canceled once the load has fallen. This can be done as and when needed. All these
operations are done automatically, so that the resources are maintained and managed themselves.

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6. Key Characteristics
Cost is greatly reduced and capital expenditures are converted into operating expenses. This
reduces barriers to entry, as the infrastructure is usually provided by a third party and does not
need to be purchased for occasional or infrequent intensive IT tasks. Utility-based pricing is
refined with usage-based options and minimal or no IT skill is required for implementation.

Device and location independence allows users to access systems using a web browser,
regardless of their location or the device they are using, for example, a PC or mobile phone. Since
the infrastructure is off-site (usually provided by a third party) and accessible via the Internet,
users can connect from anywhere.

Multi-tenancy enables sharing of resources and costs among a large pool of users, allowing
for:

• Centralization of infrastructure in areas with lower costs (such as real estate, electricity, etc.)

• Peak-load capacity increases (users need not engineer for highest possible load-levels)

• Utilization and efficiency improvements for systems that are often only 10-20% utilized.

Reliability improves with the use of multiple redundant sites, making it suitable for business
continuity and disaster recovery.

Scalability via dynamic ("on-demand") provisioning of resources on a fine-grained, self-

service basis near real-time, without users having to engineer for peak loads. Performance is
monitored and consistent and loosely-coupled architectures are constructed using web services as
the system interface.

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Security typically improves due to centralization of data, increased security-focused resources,
etc., but raises concerns about loss of control over certain sensitive data. Security is often as good
as or better than traditional systems, in part because providers are able to devote resources to
solving security issues that many customers cannot afford. Providers typically log accesses, but
accessing the audit logs themselves can be difficult or impossible.

Sustainability comes about through improved resource utilization, more efficient systems, and
carbon neutrality. Nonetheless, computers and associated infrastructure are major consumers of
energy.

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 7. Components

Cloud computing Components

Applications:

Facebook ·Google Apps ·SalesForce ·Microsoft Online

Client:

Browser(Chrome ·Firefox)

Mobile (Android ·iPhone)

Infrastructure:

BitTorrent ·EC2 ·GoGrid ·Sun Grid ·3tera

Platforms:

App Engine ·Azure ·Mosso ·SalesForce

Services:

Alexa ·FPS ·MTurk ·SQS

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Storage:

S3 ·SimpleDB ·SQL Services

Standards:

Ajax ·Atom ·HTML 5 ·REST

7.1 Application

A cloud application leverages the Cloud in software architecture, often eliminating the need to
install and run the application on the customer's own computer, thus alleviating the burden of
software maintenance, ongoing operation, and support. For example:

• Peer-to-peer / volunteer computing (Bittorrent, BOINC Projects, Skype)

• Web application (Facebook)

• Software as a service (Google Apps, SAP and Salesforce)

• Software plus services (Microsoft Online Services)

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7.2Client

A cloud client consists of computer hardware and/or computer software which relies on cloud
computing for application delivery, or which is specifically designed for delivery of cloud services
and which, in either case, is essentially useless without it. For example:

• Mobile (Android, iPhone, Windows Mobile)

• Thin client (CherryPal, Zonbu, gOS-based systems)

• Thick client / Web browser (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox)

7.3 Infrastructure

Cloud infrastructure, such as Infrastructure as a service(IaaS), is the delivery of computer

infrastructure, typically a platform virtualization environment, as a service. For example:

• Full virtualization (GoGrid, Skytap)

• Management (RightScale)

• Compute (Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud)

• Platform (Force.com)

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7.4 Platform

A cloud platform, such as Platform as a service, the delivery of a computing platform, and/or
solution stack as a service, facilitates deployment of applications without the cost and complexity of
buying and managing the underlying hardware and software layers. For example:

• Web application frameworks

- Python Django (Google App Engine)

- Ruby on Rails (Heroku)

- .NET (Azure Services Platform)

• Web hosting (Mosso)

• Proprietary (Force.com)

7.5 Service

A cloud service includes "products, services and solutions that are delivered and consumed in real-
time over the Internet". For example, Web Services ("software system[s] designed to support
interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network") which may be accessed by other
cloud computing components, software, e.g., Software plus service, or end users directly. Specific
examples include:

• Identity (OAuth, OpenID, Digilocker)

• Integration (Amazon Simple Queue Service)

• Payments (Amazon Pay, Paytm, Google Pay, PayPal)

• Mapping (Google Maps, Apple Maps)

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• Search (Google Search, Bing Search)

• Others (Amazon Mechanical Turk)

7.6 Storage

Cloud storage involves the delivery of data storage as a service, including database-like services,
often billed on a utility computing basis, e.g., per gigabyte per month. For example:

• Database (Amazon SimpleDB, Google Drive)

• Network attached storage (MobileMe iDisk, Nirvanix CloudNAS)

• Synchronisation (Google back up & sync, MobileMe push functions)

• Web service (Amazon Simple Storage Service, Nirvanix SDN)

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 8. Architecture

Cloud architecture, the systems architecture of the software systems involved in the delivery of
cloud computing, comprises hardware and software designed by a cloud architect who typically
works for a cloud integrator. It typically involves multiple cloud components communicating with
each other over application programming interfaces, usually web services.

This closely resembles the UNIX philosophy of having multiple programs doing one thing well and
working together over universal interfaces. Complexity is controlled and the resulting systems are
more manageable than their monolithic counterparts.

Cloud architecture extends to the client, where web browsers and/or software applications access
cloud applications.

Cloud storage architecture is loosely coupled, where metadata operations are centralized enabling
the data nodes to scale into the hundreds, each independently delivering data to applications or user.

" 


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 9. Types

8.1Public cloud

Public cloud or external cloud describes cloud computing in the traditional mainstream
sense, whereby resources are dynamically provisioned on a fine- grained, self-service basis
over the Internet, via web applications/web services, from an off-site third-party provider
who shares resources and bills on a fine- grained utility computing basis.

8.2Private cloud

Private cloud and internal cloud are a new concept that some vendors have recently used to
describe offerings that emulate cloud computing on private networks. These products claim
to "deliver some benefits of cloud computing without the pitfalls", capitalizing on data
security, corporate governance, and reliability concerns.

While an analyst predicted in 2008 that private cloud networks would be the future of
corporate IT, there is some uncertainty whether they are a reality even within the same firm.
Analysts also claim that within five years a "huge percentage" of small and medium
enterprises will get most of their computing resources from external cloud computing
providers as they "will not have economies of scale to make it worth staying in the IT
business" or be able to afford private clouds.

The term has also been used in the logical rather than physical sense, for example in
reference to platform as service offerings, though such offerings including Microsoft's
Azure Services Platform are not available for on-premises deployment.

8.3Hybrid cloud

A hybrid cloud environment consisting of multiple internal and/or external providers"will

be typical for most enterprises".
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 10. Roles

10.1Provider

A cloud computing provider or cloud computing service provider owns and operates live
cloud computing systems to deliver service to third parties. The barrier to entry is also
significantly higher with capital expenditure required and billing and management creates
some overhead. Nonetheless, significant operational efficiency and agility advantages can
be realized, even by small organizations, and server consolidation and virtualization
rollouts are already well underway. Amazon.com was the first such provider, modernizing
its data centers which, like most computer networks, were using as little as 10% of its
capacity at any one time just to leave room for occasional spikes. This allowed small, fast-
moving groups to add new features faster and easier, and they went

on to open it up to outsiders as Amazon Web Services in 2002 on a utility computing basis.

10.2User

A user is a consumer of cloud computing. The privacy of users in cloud computing has
become of increasing concern. The rights of users are also an issue, which is being
addressed via a community effort to create a bill of rights.

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10.3Vendor

A vendor sells products and services that facilitate the delivery, adoption and use of cloud
computing.For example:

• Computer hardware (Dell, HP, IBM, Sun Microsystems) o Storage (Sun

Microsystems, EMC, IBM)

o Infrastructure (Cisco Systems)

• Computer software (3tera, Hadoop, IBM, RightScale)


o Operating systems (Solaris, AIX, Linux including Red Hat)

o Platform virtualization (Citrix, Microsoft, VMware, Sun xVM, IBM)

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 11. Advantages

• Lower computer costs: 


– We do not need a high-powered and high-priced computer to run 


cloud computing's web-based applications. 

– Since applications run in the cloud, not on the desktop PC, our 

desktop PC does not need the processing power or hard disk space 

demanded by traditional desktop software. 

– When we are using web-based applications, our PC can be less 

expensive, with a smaller hard disk, less memory, more efficient 

processor... 

– In fact, our PC in this scenario does not even need a CD or DVD 

drive, as no software programs have to be loaded and no document files need to be
saved.

• Improved performance:

– With few large programs hogging our computer's memory, we 


will see better performance from our PC. 


– Computers in a cloud computing system boot and run faster 


because they have fewer programs and processes loaded into memory. 


27
• Reduced software costs:

– Instead of purchasing expensive software applications, we can get 


most of what we need for free-ish!

• most cloud computing applications today, such as the 


Google Docs suite. 


– better than paying for similar commercial software 


• which alone may be justification for switching to cloud applications.

• Instant software updates:

– Another advantage to cloud computing is that we are no longer 


faced with choosing between obsolete software and high upgrade 

costs. 

– When the application is web-based, updates happen automatically 

• available the next time we log into the cloud.

– When we access a web-based application, we get the latest version

• without needing to pay for or download an upgrade.

• Improved document format compatibility:

– We do not have to worry about the documents we create on our 


machine being compatible with other users' applications or OSes 

– There are potentially no format incompatibilities when everyone is 

sharing documents and applications in the cloud. 


28
• Unlimited storage capacity:

– Cloud computing offers virtually limitless storage. 


– Our computer's current 1 Tbyte hard drive is small compared to 

the hundreds of Pbytes available in the cloud. 


• Increased data reliability:



– Unlike desktop computing, in which if a hard disk crashes and destroy all our valuable
data, a computer crashing in the cloud should not affect the storage of our data.

• if our personal computer crashes, all our data is still out there in the cloud, still
accessible

– In a world where few individual desktop PC users back up their data on a regular basis,
cloud computing is a data-safe computing platform!

• Universal document access:

– That is not a problem with cloud computing, because we do not 


take our documents with we. 

– Instead, they stay in the cloud, and we can access them whenever 

we have a computer and an Internet connection 

– Documents are instantly available from wherever we are 


29
• Latest version availability:

– When we edit a document at home, that edited version is what we 


see when we access the document at work.

– The cloud always hosts the latest version of our documents 


• Easier group collaboration:

– Sharing documents leads directly to better collaboration. 


– Many users do this as it is an important advantages of cloud 

computing

• multiple users can collaborate easily on documents and 

projects 


• Device independence:

– We are no longer tethered to a single computer or network. 


– Changes to computers, applications and documents follow we 

through the cloud. 

– Move to a portable device, and our applications and documents 

are still available. 


30
 12. Disadvantages
• Requires a constant Internet connection:

– Cloud computing is impossible if we cannot connect to the 


Internet. 

– Since we use the Internet to connect to both our applications and 

documents, if we do not have an Internet connection we cannot 

access anything, even our own documents. 

– A dead Internet connection means no work and in areas where 

Internet connections are few or inherently unreliable, this could be a deal-breaker. 


• Does not work well with low-speed connections:

– Similarly, a low-speed Internet connection, such as that found with dial-up services,
makes cloud computing painful at best and often impossible.

– Web-based applications require a lot of bandwidth to download, as do large documents.

• Features might be limited:


– This situation is bound to change, but today many web-based applications simply are
not as full-featured as their desktop-based applications.

• Can be slow:

– Even with a fast connection, web-based applications can 


sometimes be slower than accessing a similar software program on our desktop PC. 

– Everything about the program, from the interface to the current document, has to be sent
31
 back and forth from our computer to the 

computers in the cloud. 

– If the cloud servers happen to be backed up at that moment, or if 

the Internet is having a slow day, we would not get the instantaneous access we might
expect from desktop applications. 


• Stored data might not be secure:


– With cloud computing, all our data is stored on the cloud.

• The questions is How secure is the cloud?

– Can unauthorised users gain access to our confidential data?

• Stored data can be lost:

– Theoretically, data stored in the cloud is safe, replicated across multiple machines. 

– But on the off chance that our data goes missing, we have no physical or local backup. 


32
 13.How businesses use cloud
computing?
Like our personal email, our business email can also be cloud-based. Other commercial uses of the
cloud include collaboration and communication; productivity; file backup; data analysis; tools to
develop software and more. Many organizations use cloud-based applications through a
subscription model. It is economic because the organization only pays for what it uses. In addition,
it is convenient and allows users to stay productive because they can access their applications and
data from any device connected to the Internet. Cloud computing also makes many business
processes more reliable because data can be duplicated across multiple redundant sites on the cloud
provider's network.Here are some examples of how businesses use cloud computing:

• Communication

The cloud provides users with easy web access to communication and collaboration
tools such as email and calendar. Voice and voice and video calling applications such
as Skype also benefit from the cloud. Our messages and information are on the service
provider's network rather than on our personal device.

• Productivity

Office tools (such as Microsoft Office 365) can be cloud-based, allowing us to connect to
the most used applications on the Internet. We can work in our document, presentation or
spreadsheet from almost anywhere. With our information stored in the cloud, we do not
have to worry about losing our data if our device goes down. Many applications can be
run directly from our web browser without having to download or install special
software.
• Business processes

Many sophisticated business applications such as customer relationship management,

enterprise resource planning, and document management can also be leased to a cloud
service provider. This ensures the availability and security of our company's strategic
resources and allows us to easily access these tools via the web browser.
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• File storage

The cloud can be used for file storage. The benefit for us is an easy backup: many cloud
services automatically synchronize our files from our desktop. Moreover, if we switch to
another computer or mobile device, we can always recover our files. Organizations pay
only for used storage and must not maintain the infrastructure. It is the cloud service
provider who does it.

• Backup and recovery

When our organization relies on cloud services for backup and recovery, it can avoid
investments in infrastructure and management. Instead, the cloud service provider is
responsible for data management and compliance with legal and compliance
requirements. The cloud also offers greater flexibility as it can respond to unpredictable
storage and backup demands. Our cloud service provider can also speed up recovery
because our corporate assets are located on a network of physical locations rather than an
on-premises data center.

• Application development

If we develop web, mobile, or gaming applications, the cloud can help us quickly create
cross-platform experiences that adapt as our user base grows. Many cloud services
include pre-coded tools, such as directory services, search and security, that can speed up
and simplify our development.

• Test and development

The cloud can provide an environment to reduce costs and bring our applications to
market faster. Rather than securing budgets and devoting valuable project time and
resources to configuring physical environments, our teams can quickly set up and
dismantle cloud-based test and development environments. We can adapt these test-test
environments up or down as needed.

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• Big data analytics

With cloud computing, we can draw on our business data to analyze, draw conclusions,
make forecasts, improve forecasts and make other decisions. Cloud services can provide
our enterprise with superior processing power, sophisticated tools for extracting huge
amounts of data, and the ability to rapidly scale our environment as our data grows.


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 14. Real life examples of cloud computing
Today we are dependent on technology more than we ever were. With the availability of cheap
computing devices and given the simplicity to use them, technology has engulfed us completely and
almost everything we do has some technology or some computing aspects involved in it. With the
advancement of technology and fast adaptation to it, cloud computing can be seen in various walks
of life. Be it video games like PUBG, productivity apps like OFFICE ONLINE, AI assistants like
Alexa, or government initiatives such as AADHAR of UIDAI, cloud computing can be found
everywhere.

In the past few years government has been trying hard to push the wave of digitalisation in India.
Digital India is a campaign launched by the Government of India to ensure the Government's
services are made available to citizens electronically by improved online infrastructure and by
increasing Internet connectivity or by making the country digitally empowered in the field of
technology. AADHAR is one such scheme under the Digital India scheme. AADHAR is a cloud
based identification programme. It consists of a unique 12 digit number assigned to each of the
residents within India. This number can be used to retrieve details of the person from the UIDAI
database after being authenticated by the person’s biometrics. AADHAR has greatly simplified
many things in the lives of the people in India. A mobile phone number can be obtained within
minutes using AADHAR based authentication system. Bank accounts can also be opened online or
at branches within no time using the Aadhar based e-kyc system. All this is possible because all the
data pertaining to the AADHAR program is stored in a centralised cloud-based secure database
which can be retrieved with the permission of UIDAI as and when required.

We can take one more example also from the Government of India. The government of India
introduced the DIGILOCKER. DigiLocker is a "digital locker" service operated by
the Government of India that enables Indian citizens to store certain official documents on the
cloud. The service is aimed towards reducing the need to carry physical documents, and is part of
the government's Digital India initiative. 1 GB of storage space is offered to users to store
identification card issued by government agencies, education certificates, PAN cards, driving
license, vehicle ownership documents and some other documents.

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Cloud computing was a new concept a few years back. Cloud computing became a thing of the
masses thanks to companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Dropbox, etc. The first form of cloud
computing that was readily available to the common people was online cloud storage. Cloud storage
services such as APPLE ICLOUD, GOOGLE DRIVE, MICROSOFT ONEDRIVE provided free
cloud storage with their products. Apple Inc. is of the pioneers of bringing this technology to the
masses as it was the first company to provide cloud storage using its ICLOUD platform. Even till
today iCloud provides the most advanced cloud storage facility to the consumers. Cloud storage
services was started in a bid to free u local space on the devices by remotely storing the photos and
documents on the cloud and being able to retrieve the same on demand.

Recently google came up with the concept of GOOGLE INSTANT APPS. This enables the users to
use certain apps from the Play Store without having to install them on the phone. This can also
considered as an example of cloud computing.

Online bill payments, retrieval of documents, booking of tickets, using online services and almost
everything that is online can be considered to be related to cloud computing in some way or the
other. 


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 15. Conclusion
Cloud computing is a big topic and the above report is not a high-level introduction. It is certainly
not possible in the restricted space of a report to do justice to these technologies.

Cloud Computing Brings Possibilities........

• Increases business responsiveness

• Accelerates creation of new services via rapid prototyping capabilities

• Reduces acquisition complexity via service oriented approach

• Uses IT resources efficiently via sharing and higher system utilization Reduces energy
consumption

• Handles new and emerging workloads

• Scales to extreme workloads quickly and easily

• Simplifies IT management

• Platform for collaboration and innovation

• Cultivates skills for next generation workforce

Today, cloud computing is more widespread than it was a decade back. Cloud computing can today
be seen in every walk of life. We may or may not know but in some way or the other we are using
cloud computing services. Cloud computing holds some strong promises because it does not limit
us down to using only one machine. It opens a huge array of possibilities. Some recent
developments such as Artificial Intelligence, has been made possible only because of cloud
computing. We should use more of such technologies.

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