Every factory and business used power created by a basement generator until Edison Power Company developed a way to distribute large-scale power in 1900. Thanks to Edison, businesses could then simply plug into the wall to access power that was much cleaner and more reliable than what they could produce on their own. In-house power generation no longer made sense (Macquarie Telecom, 2015). A similar revolution is happening with cloud computing. Traditionally, when a business used software to run their company, they would purchase a disk or install a program onto a desktop computer in their office building. With cloud computing, businesses can access their data and software through large data centers connected to high-speed networks. Cloud-based computing is making traditional methods obsolete because it is more secure, reliable, and accessible, similar to how large-scale power made in-house power generation obsolete one hundred years ago.

Both businesses and consumers may wonder, “What makes cloud-based computing more secure opposed to traditional methods?” Data centers are protected by armed guards twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, saving businesses the stress and fear of losing data in an unpredictable tragic situation. In comparison, when a company’s data is stored on computers in their office building, who is protecting it when no one is at the office? If a fire occurred, would the data be lost?

Compared to traditional methods, cloud-based computing is more reliable and accessible. Cloud-based programs can be accessed at any time from any device with Internet connection and can also run on any operating system. Whether a business uses Windows 10, Windows 98, or Mac OS X Yosemite, cloud-based programs still function. On the other hand, traditional software programs only work on one computer: The computer on which the program is installed is the only way to access data stored within the program. If that computer fails, the software and data are lost, and if the operating system is updated, the software may not run.

In conclusion, the cloud computing revolution is similar to the revolution in electricity. Both cloud-based software and large-scale power generation make traditional methods appear inadequate. Because cloud-based computing stores software on a large, secure servers, businesses can access their data from any device, with any operating system, at any time, making cloud computing a more secure, reliable, and accessible choice than traditional software.

Watch this informational video by Macquarie Telecom for more information on cloud computing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whkyRvugqlM

Infographic and illustrations by Cori Schipani

References

Macquarie Telecom (2012, Mar 29) What are the Business Benefits of Cloud Computing, IaaS, PaaS and SaaS? Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whkyRvugqlM