Why use clouds?

Clouds can provide users with a number of different benefits.

Many businesses large and small use cloud computing today either directly (e.g. Google or Amazon) or indirectly (e.g. Twitter) instead of traditional on-site alternatives. There are a number of reasons why cloud computing is so widely used among businesses today.

 - Reduction of costs – unlike on-site hosting the price of deploying applications in the cloud can be less due to lower hardware costs from more effective use of physical resources.

- Universal access - cloud computing can allow remotely located employees to access applications and work via the internet.

- Up to date software - a cloud provider will also be able to upgrade software keeping in mind feedback from previous software releases.

- Choice of applications. This allows flexibility for cloud users to experiment and choose the best option for their needs. Cloud computing also allows a business to use, access and pay only for what they use, with a fast implementation time

- Potential to be greener and more economical - the average amount of energy needed for a computational action carried out in the cloud is far less than the average amount for an on-site deployment. This is because different organisations can share the same physical resources securely, leading to more efficient use of the shared resources.

- Flexibility – cloud computing allows users to switch applications easily and rapidly, using the one that suits their needs best. However, migrating data between applications can be an issue.