Cloud Computing For Small Businesses

Cloud computing services include Infrastructure as a Service or IaaS, Platform as a Service or PaaS, and Software as a Service or SaaS. Resource cloud or Infrastructure as a Service or IaaS delivers managed and scalable resources as services. Infrastructure as a Service or IaaS offers enhanced virtualization capabilities. Service cloud or Software as a Service or SaaS or application cloud delivers applications using a cloud infrastructure or platform. Software as a Service or SaaS does not provide cloud features themselves. Platform as a Service or PaaS delivers computational resources through a platform upon which various types of applications and services can be developed and then hosted.

- Advantages Provided By a Cloud Computing Service Provider

Small and medium size enterprises or SMEs get a lot of advantages by utilizing the architecture models offered by the cloud computing or cloud hosting technology. Some of the main advantages are as follows -

* Extreme Scalability or Flexibility

Extreme scalability or flexibility is a very important characteristic provided to the small and medium size enterprises by the cloud service providers. Cloud computing technology results in getting new applications to the market very quickly by making use of the most suitable building blocks required for deployment.

* Real Time, Any Place, and Any Time Accessibility

Applications hosted on cloud can be accessed in real time, from any place round the globe, and at any point of time through an Internet connected device, such as, a laptop or a personal computer or an Internet connected mobile gadget, for example, an iPhone or an iPad.

* Multiple Users Accessibility

Applications hosted through the use of cloud computing technology can be accessed by multiple users dispersed round the world, and that too, in a concurrent fashion.

* Get Hosted Any Application on Cloud

Lacerte tax software, Drake tax software, ATX tax software, ProSeries tax software, QuickBooks accounting software, add-on programs for QuickBooks accounting software, Peachtree accounting software, ACT! CRM by Sage, Windows Server software, MS SQL Server, MS Project, MS Office Server, Exchange Server, Groove Server, SharePoint Server, and various other kinds of business utility application programs can be very smoothly and easily hosted on the cloud hosting service providers' high tech cloud servers. You can get hosted any type and any number of applications on the cloud servers.

* Significant Cost Reduction

Cloud Computing technology lowers the costs of operation for small and medium size enterprises or SMEs. The billing model offered by the cloud computing or cloud hosting technology is pay as per usage. Small and medium size enterprises are not required to purchase and maintain the computing infrastructure, thus, significantly lowering maintenance related expenditure. When compared to traditional or conventional computing, initial expenses and recurring expenses are much lower with cloud computing or cloud hosting technology.

* Massive Storage Space on Cloud

Cloud offers massive storage space and offers full potential for unlimited data storage. As cloud hosting service providers have immense, robust, and advanced infrastructure, storage and maintenance of very large volumes of data or information is a reality. As the cloud is fully flexible and can scale dynamically, unexpected fluctuations in the workload are managed very easily.