It is funny how technology has changed shape in the past few decades and how there is a big difference between how different technologies have adapted to the changing size factor. We have seen TVs going bigger, printers going smaller, and there are numerous such examples. Something similar can be seen in the case of storages where today, we don’t even need a hard drive. And thanks to the mobile app developers of the 21st century, who have partially eliminated the need for hard drives from phones as well. Today, we have cloud technologies that store our data in virtual drives, also called Cloud Storages.
What is Cloud Storage?
Cloud Storage is a service model provided by Cloud Service Providers that use Data Virtualization Centre to enable its subscribers to remotely access data with the help of internet. The management of cloud server, data infrastructure, service delivery is taken care of by the cloud service provider itself. The role of a cloud storage service is not limited to just storing data, as it is used for many other purposes in the digital space. It is also used for delivering on-demand data to end-users with the help of a virtual delivery architecture operated a web-based API. Cloud Storage was originally created for big-data and storing piles of data for enterprises and industries; but since past few years, cloud storages have started focusing on providing storage services, also known as utility storages, for the general public as well. Some of the major technology giants, who also stand amongst top mobile app development companies, have built cloud storage apps that are quite popular among general users, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and more.
Advantages of Cloud Storage
Companies with a larger size always use cloud storage to evade managing huge chunks of data and the hassles of managing it. And the ones with a smaller start have started using the cloud for multiple reasons. So what is it that is compelling everyone out there, general public and company, to start using these services? Here is why:
Accessibility
For companies, data accessibility is quite an important factor that determines overall productivity. Cloud storages today, despite storing data quite far from the origin, are capable of sending over data as soon as it is demanded, with the help of advanced bandwidth options that exist. From a general user’s perspective, most of the cloud storage companies provide mobile app solutions and local folder for the desktop, which has drag-n-drop utility for uploading and downloading data.
Scalability
What makes cloud storage services suitable for all kinds of purposes is that it is scalable, which means irrespective of the size of operation, cloud infrastructure can always be modified to fit the need. This is possible because, for the virtualized space, this would merely mean the addition of another node or nodes to the storage environment. So, in a way, scalability in cloud storage has no limits; though the cost of maintenance for a single virtualized data center is one of the challenges in cloud storage industries.
Cost-savings
Before cloud services hit the shelves, most of the companies with data in huge quantities had to carry the burden of data storage management systems as well. But at present, most of the companies have adopted cloud storages to keep away the headache of managing and storing that data. Especially for smaller companies, the ROI gained from using cloud storage in the long run is quite high.
Disaster Recovery
Cloud storages have better provisions to recover data in case of a system failure, which makes them much more reliable for storing data. Most of the cloud storage services include a disaster recovery plan in the package, which is capable of restoring data from secondary or backup infrastructure to on-premises infrastructure. Although it is a long process, the best cloud storage solutions can recover the data with high accuracy, unlike conventional data storage and management systems instilled at the origin.
Cloud storage companies are gradually redefining the way we store data. From the point of view of a generic user, uploading data to secure clouds to save hard drive storage with the help of mobile apps created by top app development companies is quite an option, especially when being offered with a simple drag-n-drop interface. Enterprises, specifically for whom the cloud was invented, are already gaining a lot in terms of speed, reliability, and data recovery.