How scalability in cloud computing can benefit your business

Scalability in cloud computing refers to the flexibility of increasing or decreasing IT resources according to the requirements of the business.

This is one of the biggest reasons cloud computing is gaining popularity among businesses in India.

With cloud computing infrastructure, enterprises can easily increase or decrease:

Data storage capacity
Processing power
Networking

All without disruption or downtime.

Unlike previous times, enterprises don’t have to go through months-long processes of scaling, as cloud computing service providers maintain all the infrastructure all the time.

How cloud computing works

Businesses have changing IT requirements.

Sometimes the demand is high, and they need more resources.

On the other hand, there are times when the requirement is low and maintaining all the resources becomes unbearably costly.

The process of estimating the exact requirement at all times requires a lot of monitoring, testing, and accurate forecasting.

Understanding the requirement for data storage, memory and power depends largely on the factors like:

CPU load
Memory usage
Response time

Scalability in cloud computing can be divided into two major types:

Vertical scaling

This refers to scaling up (+) or scaling down (-). In this type of scalability, enterprises can increase or decrease the power to an existing cloud server. This can help in enhancing the memory, storage, and processing power.

Horizontal Scaling

This is also known as scaling in or scaling out. Horizontal scaling allows you to increase resources so that there is little or no downtime and the business is available at all times. With horizontal scaling, you can add servers and increase the performance.

Different types of cloud deployment models

Programmer seen from behind working at a computer — Photo: Sigmund on Unsplash

Primarily there are four types of cloud deployment models. Depending on the implementation type, hosting type, and who has access to it, these are divided into four categories:

Public
Private
Hybrid
Community type deployment models

Amongst all the types of deployment models mentioned above, the hybrid model is gaining popularity in India.

Generally, cloud platforms operate in a public or private environment. In a hybrid model the cloud platform operates across two or more such environments.

63% of India’s enterprises chose the hybrid cloud model to accommodate employees working from home during COVID-19.

Only 46% of global companies adopted the hybrid model during that period.

Indian enterprises are rapidly adopting modern IT infrastructures for the following reasons:

Lower cost
Better control of IT resources
Speed of meeting business needs
Better customer experience

People meeting in a conference room — Photo: Smartworks Coworking on Unsplash

An increasing number of Indian companies are adopting cloud services for their business requirements. Here are some of the many reasons why they’re doing so:

1- Minimize IT cost

Having a cloud partner eliminates the need for having an IT infrastructure and maintaining all the hardware. Data centers and computer clusters require space and resources.

There is a lot of costs involved in:

Owning the IT infrastructure
Employing people to maintain it
Updating the hardware at regular time intervals

A cloud service partner provides all the resources with low overhead costs. This allows companies to focus on the work that matters most, rather than figuring out the hassles of handling IT-related problems.

2- Scalability in cloud computing

One of the key concerns of most startups and organizations in the growing stage is scalability.

With cloud computing services companies can easily match their business needs by increasing or decreasing the resources.

For example, Netflix moved to Amazon Web Services in 2008 after a major database corruption. With cloud services, Netflix was able to deliver its services to its global audience. The scalability feature allowed the streaming company to increase and decrease the resources as per customer demand.

3- Better security

Irrespective of the size and industry, data security is critical for every business. Most enterprises do not have full visibility of all the critical data.

It may seem scary to entrust your data to a cloud service provider, but with better data regulation and management, it can be relieving.

It is the responsibility and full-time job of your service provider to host and protect your files.

Ensuring the safety of your files is the only reason they exist in the business.

4- Competitive edge

In this fast-moving, competitive environment of today’s world, businesses have to be innovative and keep moving with the world.

When all other competitor companies are adopting new technology and you’re not, you are automatically left behind because of inaction. Data analytics can be utilized in different ways for precise business decisions. It can help businesses enhance their decision-making capabilities, team collaboration, and resource allocation.

5- Allows remote work collaboration

Post-COVID, many organizations are planning to stay remote. Not only does it reduce the hefty cost of office rent, but also overhead expenses like electricity, pantry, etc.

Cloud computing services allow companies to maintain remote work models and save costs.

Apart from saving costs, it’s convenient for the employees to access data and software without the need of being physically present in the office.

It offers easier collaboration and teamwork from anywhere in the world.

6- Sustainability

As responsible business owners, companies must do their bit to make this planet a better place. Carbon footprint is a big environmental issue the business world is struggling with.

Cloud computing results in a smaller carbon footprint and is, therefore, more environmentally friendly.

Virtual services result in less wastage of hardware and other physical products. From preventing paper waste to improving energy efficiency, cloud computing is changing the world.

Scalability in cloud computing is just the beginning

Scalability in cloud computing is only one of the benefits of cloud computing. Although we have covered the major advantages of cloud computing services, this isn't an exclusive list.