The best cloud computing services enable businesses to ride the wave of digital transformation, ultimately enhancing efficiency & reducing costs.
There was a time when if an organization wanted to build an online application or a website, they had to run their own servers. Alternatively, they would have to sign a long-term contract with a nearby colocation data center provider. The entire process was cumbersome and expensive, making it only possible for big names to even think about doing it.
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But today, the picture is entirely different! Cloud computing came as a much needed sigh of relief, making space for any organization to choose a cloud computing service on a need-to-use basis. There is no longer a need to get into long-term contracts, as most of the providers offer pay-as-you-go. Today, there are endless options to choose from.
This blog is all about unveiling the best cloud computing services available today and how on-premises is different from cloud. But before we go there, let’s take a brief account of ‘what is cloud computing’.
What Is Cloud Computing?
In simple terms, cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing services over the internet (or the cloud). Some of the most common computing services delivered are databases, storage, analytics, servers, software, intelligence, and networking. The goal is to enable organizations with flexible resources, economies of scale, and faster innovation.
A Brief History
Before cloud computing emerged, businesses used client/server storage. In this centralized storage, all the data, controls, and software applications resided on the server side. Hence, for every little access, the server had to be connected and gained access.
After this, distributed computing became popular, where computers networked together to share their resources as needed.
Finally, cloud computing was born, when in 1999, Salesforce began delivering applications to users via a simple website. Then in 2022, Amazon launched AWS (Amazon Web Services), which paved the road to where we are today in terms of cloud technology.
Since then, cloud computing has come a long way and has even moved ahead towards more advanced concepts like edge computing. Considering the plethora of benefits of cloud computing, companies everywhere go for one. Let’s see what cloud providers are and which ones are the best.
What Are Cloud Service Providers?
Cloud service providers are vendors who rent out a combination of expertise, infrastructure, and technology to other individuals and organizations. Cloud computing is the purpose and includes compute, networking, and online storage over the internet.
Cloud service providers have and operate various data centers globally, wherein they hold the required physical infrastructure for cloud computing. These cloud infrastructures can be assessed by anyone at any time and from anywhere.
But obviously, there is a big task that lies in front of companies and that is choosing the best cloud hosting name. Let us see which are the best ones leading in the market.
Also Read– 6 Appealing Reasons To Learn Cloud Computing
Best Cloud Computing Services of 2024
The top three leading cloud providers today globally are AWS (Amazon Web Services), Microsoft Azure, and GCP (Google Cloud Platform). AWS leads the way with a staggering 32% market share, followed by Azure and GCP at 23% and 10% respectively.
Having said that, many light cloud users give preference to Azure over AWS. On the other hand, contenders like Tencent Cloud and Alibaba Cloud are gaining momentum in the Asia Pacific region.
Here are details about the best ones today that are leading the IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS market.
- Amazon Cloud Computing- Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services, popularly referred to only as AWS, is the biggest cloud computing provider in the world today. AWS cloud computing is the one that kick started the entire cloud revolution and has been the top name since then.
AWS has the biggest data center network, which offers reliable and solid performance. It is user-friendly and facilitates easy and quick access. Thus, allowing you to modify the data as and when you want. AWS web hosting service is pretty famous today, due to its numerous features to opt from. AWS server pricing is also quite high, but totally worth it.
Go through igmGuru’s AWS Training to learn AWS from beginning to advanced level.
- Microsoft Azure
The cloud computing service offered by Microsoft is Azure, which enables building and running the apps easily on the cloud. With a humongous network of 200+ data centers globally, it guarantees high redundancy and availability.
This has gained popularity because of the gigantic sum it has invested in ensuring security. Hence, it provides built-in controls that detect and thwart cyber threats. To make it possible, it applies ML and AI solutions.
Additionally, it provides high scalability, giving businesses complete control over how much they use and pay for.
Explore igmGuru’s Microsoft Azure Administrator, Microsoft Azure Developer, and Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect training program to build your career in cloud technology.
- Google Cloud Provider
Google Cloud computing services by Google got a little later into the game, but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming the number three globally. It provides exceptional cloud solutions, which has led to the expansive customer base it enjoys today.
Just like Azure, GCP also dedicates a huge chunk of its resources to cloud computing security, leveraging ML and AI systems to timely detect and fight any cyber threats. Users are also given plenty of cybersecurity features to ensure that they keep their sensitive data safe. Known for its high performance, it is a main reason for why businesses choose this name.
Enroll in GCP training program today to learn Google cloud.
- OVHcloud
A famous French cloud provider, OVHcloud is famous among European customers, where it is the largest cloud hosting name.
It gives its customers the access to dedicated servers or virtual private servers. As compared to most of its rival platforms, this one is far more affordable, giving the option to rent dedicated servers for around $11 a month.
- DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean is known for being a low-cost cloud provider, but the low price is particularly because of comparatively less features. With this provider, you will find more basic features and do a good job of it too.
With 15 data centers globally, it does not have as wide a network as AWS or Azure. Similarly, its performance and reliability is also not at par with the other ones. Hence, the low price is due to the limited performance and features offered.
- IBM Cloud
IBM cloud computing service provider aids businesses that are comfortable sticking to what is known and familiar. It helps in seamless transition from an on-premises environment to a digital one without much hassle.
It has somewhere around 170 products containing on-premises, multi cloud deployments, and hybrid cloud. It is a big name in managed IaaS as well as cloud migration services.
- Alibaba
For businesses operating in Southeast Asia, Alibaba is the biggest name one can consider for cloud options. Just like Amazon’s AWS, Alibaba has also stemmed out from the Alibaba e-commerce giant that today holds around 5% of the world’s cloud services market.
Since its launch in 2009, it has aided multiple big businesses, SMEs, non-profit organizations, and even governmental branches.
You May Also Read– Google Cloud Platform Tutorial [2024]
Cloud vs On-Premises
When it comes the time for a company to expand and pick a solution to make it happen, they often get confused in on-premises and cloud.
With cloud gaining such a high level momentum in the past few years, you must think that why would anyone even consider going for on-premises solutions? Well, many companies do and here is a comparison between the two to make things easier.
| BASIS | CLOUD | ON-PREMISES |
| Cost | The costs associated with the cloud are often lower, since a monthly fee is the only expense involved. Hence, you do not need a team, space, cloud computing architecture, or license. | On-premises generally tend to incur high costs for operations and even entry. A lot of cost is associated with purchasing the software and hardware, along with the need to have a dedicated space and team. |
| Control | With Cloud, you will never have complete control, especially in terms of any failures. | On-premises system means having everything under your own control. You are not dependent on anyone for anything. |
| Scalability | Cloud offers unprecedented scalability options as you can get immediate space and storage solutions as per the business needs. | Scalability can be an issue in on-premises as many additional costs and resources have to be thought of first. |
| Security | Since the data is stored in another entity, there is always a slight risk of security and management. However, a good cloud service provider is your way out of this dilemma. | It is certainly a safer option in terms of security. However, that also comes at a constant cost of hiring cybersecurity experts and implementing AI and ML systems. |
| Management | The cloud computing providers themselves take care of the management and the company choosing their services does not have anything to do with it. Hence, you can be totally mindfree in this scenario. | Management is a bit tricky as you always need to make sure everything complies with the set norms and legalities. |
How to Pick a Cloud Computing Provider?
When it comes to picking a cloud computing provider, there are many factors that must be kept in mind. Here are a few things you can take a look at while selecting one.
- Features
Well certainly the one thing to consider are the features that your preferred cloud server is providing. For instance, if you are looking for one that delivers exceptional performance, then you must weigh down on that feature. There are different services provided by different providers and all those should be compared to see which ones match well with your needs.
- Cost
Cost is a top judging factor in this selection process, especially for those who are on a restricted or have an allocated budget for this aspect. You should also keep the future in mind. Make sure to pick something that you can sustain in the longer haul rather than going for an upper layer one on a whim.
- Ease of Use
Do not pick one that is complicated or you are already having difficulty understanding and navigating. Things only become more complex with time, especially as they begin to scale. If you are already frustrated trying to navigate through, then the path will not be an easy one either.
- Security
The organization’s entire sensitive data will be stored on this cloud and thus, security should be a top aspect of picking a name. It is important to pick one that offers great security so that there are no data leaks or theft.
Final Words
Understanding which is the best cloud computing service provider is a big task. There are many factors to be considered and quite a long of research to be conducted to understand which provider fits best with the need your organization faces.
Once you pen out your needs, you will be able to make a list of features your provider must possess/ offer, and then pick one accordingly. While the blog only has covered only seven names, there are many more that you take a look at.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question. Which cloud service type is best?
There are three main types of cloud computing services to know about. These are platform as a service (PaaS), software as a service (SaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS). Which one is the best for you depends on various factors.
Question. Which cloud computing technology is the best?
Considering the market size, AWS is certainly the best cloud computing technology out there today. It is a comprehensive and widely accepted cloud platform that has over 165 fully-featured services from various data centers globally.
Question. Which cloud technology is the future?
The future cloud technology is in hybrid cloud solutions that brings together the best of private and public clouds for optimizing security and flexibility.
Question. What is next after cloud?
Once you ace the field of cloud, you can move to edge computing. This computing paradigm offers users complete access to various nearby networks and devices.
Question. What are the types of Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing can be classified on different factors like the type of service and the deployment model.
Based on deployment model, cloud can be classified as
- Public
- Private
- Hybrid
Based on service model offered, cloud can be classified as
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS)
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