Examining Cloud Computing in Modern Software Development
It’s no surprise that many businesses in our contemporary world are turning to the cloud. This technology can reduce operating costs by up to 40% of operating costs. Grand View Research approximated the cloud computing market to have reached $602.31 billion by 2023 and expected it to continue growing at a 21.2% CAGR in the next six years. The cost-efficient nature of this technology and its scalability are among the reasons why many people have been adopting it.
For software developers, Azure DevOps might not be new. It’s one of Microsoft’s cloud services that allows you to integrate DevOps within your organization seamlessly. Such cloud services will enable you to access facilities like storage resources via the internet – reducing the need for servers and other hardware. If you need such resources, you can connect to data centres that rent space on their hardware.
Simply put, the ‘cloud’ is a collection of several data centres with many servers configured to store this information. It also means that if software were to be deployed on the cloud, the developer would use the computational resources of any of those servers. Good enough, developers can create remotely distributed infrastructure which they can tailor and amend to suit the needs of the development team.
Private or Public Cloud: Which Model?
Cost is often one of the most considered factors in software development. If you are working on a tight budget, public cloud platforms like https://intercept.cloud/ offer shared resources, lowering operational costs. A Flexer’s State of the Cloud 2024 report showed that about 45% of organizations were already using the Azure cloud services. A private cloud isolates computational resources for a single business, which can be very expensive.
On the flip side of the coin, the private cloud operates on a private infrastructure, which enhances its security and control. In public clouds, the shared environment can, however, be a security threat, thus needing every participant to practice proper individual measures. This doesn’t always mean that public clouds are more exposed, as top providers often invest heavily in security that could exceed the capacities of individual organizations.
If you still want to operate on a public cloud but within a more isolated and private network, some organizations offer virtual private clouds. These are often highly secured and allow you to enjoy dedicated access to resources within the public environment. Another good side to public clouds is that you can instantly find new services and resources without needing physical hardware setups. This is unlike private clouds, where deployment requires significant upfront planning and software setup.
In terms of high performance and reliability, public clouds take the lead due to their vast network of data centers. Plus, their well-established disaster recovery and backup solutions ensure data integrity. For private clouds, reliability and performance can differ as they depend on an organization’s infrastructure. Achieving the same level of efficiency as in public clouds might be quite complex because of the required level of substantial investment.
Types of Service Models to Consider
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
It’s the largest option and offers core computing services on demand, ensuring effective use of resources. Specialists can install the operating systems they need and maintain applications by incorporating patches and updates. You will only pay for the amount of resources you rent and consume during the billing period.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
While IaaS offers more freedom and control, PaaS provides a pre-configured environment in which to operate your applications. Clients have less control because the service model is managed by its provider. The good thing is that as a developer, you will have more time to focus on your tasks than worrying about maintaining the model’s complex infrastructure. Plus, it eliminates the need to use expensive Integrated Development Environments, which can sometimes be complex to establish.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
In Saas, the service provider allows you to take advantage of a particular software product developed within the cloud. While SaaS has a freemium feature, it is subscription-based, granting users temporary licenses to access the resources and services.
Also read: Best SaaS Website Builders for You
The benefits of the cloud in software development
Especially for businesses that grow rapidly and have high hardware needs, incorporating cloud technology can bring tremendous benefits. Previously, server hosting could always be limited by your physical hardware. Things have, however, changed, and you can now find a cloud service that perfectly fits your budget regardless of your company’s size.
Imagine the cost that can go into acquiring an infrastructure that you only want to test. What about if it turns out to be something you don’t prefer? Since most cloud service providers use pay-per-usage models for fees, you will only pay for resources you use. This comes in handy when you are only testing the waters and are not yet ready to adopt a full-scale infrastructure.
Cloud allows businesses working on large projects to distribute their development teams across the world. You can have one group of specialists working from London, another in San Francisco, Johannesburg and so on. And as this technology only requires a web browser, users don’t need to worry about the hardware specs of their devices. Depending on the model you choose, maintenance can be the entire role of the service provider – which saves you money.
Parting Shot
Compared to how things were about fifty years ago, cloud technology has brought tremendous benefits to software development. You now no longer need to worry about acquiring very expensive hardware to get you started. By simply subscribing to your preferred model, you can access all the services you need from any place at any time.
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