Cloud hosting is one of the more recent developments in the field of web hosting. And it’s one that is promising to be more convenient for companies big or small given the customization options that it provides for. While that is one great reason that has been fuelling its stupendous growth over the past couple of years, here is a brief introduction to what cloud hosting is in the first place. 

To begin with, cloud hosting refers to the ability for companies to host their operations in remote data centers. Essentially, you can tap into both the hardware as well as software resources as per your need. Depending on your requirements, the services provided by a cloud hosting infrastructure can be classified into SaaS, PaaS and LaaS. 

Software as a Service (SaaS): This refers to seeking Software as a Service where you access the software that is hosted on a third party server. 

Platform as a Service (PaaS): This applies to when you need access to the hosting infrastructure to host your site onto. However, the hosting infrastructure that you are opting for might be suitable for specific applications for the best results and what PaaS model you are looking for will depend on the applications that you intend to host. 

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Lastly, there is the Infrastructure as a Service where you get the basic hosting infrastructure with you having full control of the servers allocated to you. That way, you will have to load your own OS and other related software needed to host your application or website. 

Mentioned Here Are A Few Key Aspects Related To Cloud Hosting

Cost Advantage: 

Cloud hosting offers a very flexible pricing strategy where you can start off really small. This is especially beneficial for SMEs that might be operating under a tight budget. That way, you can pay for only the amount of resource that you are using. However, the real advantage here is the scalability it offers. For you always have the option to enhance your cloud footprint to just the extent that you need, as and when it is needed. 

Load Balancing: 

One of the inherent positives with cloud hosting is that the hosting providers have enough scope to distribute the resources if there is a sudden spike in demand, something that is quite common with websites. So, more servers can be allocated on the fly and withdrawn when the spike has subdued, all dynamically to ensure minimal to zero disruption in service. With physical servers that run into thousands or even more distributed over several geographical locations, the service providers can always allocate more servers during peak times to ensure optimal business at all times. 

Enhanced Security: 

With thousands of servers along with other infrastructure usually concentrated in a single or several locations, it is only natural for physical security to be paramount in those places. Also, with hundreds of thousands of websites being hosted, there also is a robust anti-hacking strategy in place to thwart such attempts. All of this ensures minimal worries for the individual companies with the cloud host providers taking care of all such issues. 

Reliability: 

Cloud based hosting has redundancy measures incorporated to ensure the site remains operational even if there is a single point failure. With the site managed in different network, the cloud has several points to draw resources from even if one server fails. This is quite unlike what is likely to happen when you have your site hosted on a standalone server. 

Support: 

Cloud based hosting are huge endeavours where the providers have poured in huge resources for its development. Naturally, there also is a robust maintenance setup as well comprising of some of the best technicians and other staff. More often than not, they also are available 24 X 7, which means round the clock support just in case something goes wrong.  

Summary:

Cloud can be inherently more beneficial for businesses of any scale to host their operations. With the options to start of really small to suit the demand, there always is the option to opt for more resources as and when need, paying for only the resources that has been tapped into. This make cloud hosting to be more versatile and budget friendly than hosting on standalone servers. No wonder, companies of all sizes have started migrating to cloud based hosting while cloud hosting centers too have thrived over the years. 

Joyce Laroche