From providing productivity tools such as email, calendars and conferencing to more complex applications that run projects that are driven by data, cloud data services are changing how businesses operate. They alleviate the burden of maintaining internal infrastructure including updating software and operating systems and decommissioning and getting rid of hardware and software when it becomes obsolete. In addition, they provide access to the specialized skills and resources that would be difficult for many smaller companies to afford or manage in-house.
The most popular type of cloud-based data services is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). IaaS providers offer VM instances storage, as well as APIs that let customers migrate and host production workloads in the cloud. IaaS is typically provided as a pay-as-you-go subscription, which helps to reduce initial costs, and to allow IT to scale up capacity as required.
Other types of cloud data services include database-as-a-service. This allows organizations to store and retrieve large quantities of structured data at a low latency. Some vendors also offer real-time data storage that can provide millisecond-long response times. Examples include Amazon DynamoDB and Google Bigtable that can be used as high-performance in-process database for data processing applications.
The cloud can also make it easier to collaborate remotely and access work files across multiple devices. For instance, many companies depend on SaaS tools this link such as Google Docs or Microsoft 365 for sharing documents and presentations. They can also make use of a cloud-based video conferencing service, such as Zoom, to communicate with employees and clients in various locations.
