The best cloud computing platforms for business

Cloud computing has been one of the major technological advances in recent years. It offers businesses of all sizes effective and affordable solutions to help them reach their business goals. Cloud computing is vastly superior to traditional storage and sharing and opens up new opportunities for team members to collaborate with each other, as well as providing revolutionary new tools that managers can use to boost business performance.

What is cloud computing?

Simply put, cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing services via the internet. All users have access to services such as data storage, database management and networking in the “cloud”, accessed through their internet connection, rather than relying on the local storage of deployment. Typically these services are provided by cloud computing platforms who provide storage and other solutions. You can access the cloud anywhere and at any time as long as you are online.

What are the best cloud computing platforms?

With more and more businesses recognizing the benefits and advantages of cloud computing in recent years, this has led to something of a boom in the industry: the cloud services market grew 17.5 percent in 2019 to $214.3 billion, according to Gartner. Consequently, there is now a large range of platforms available. Here are the best cloud computing platforms you should know about.

Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services, or AWS, is undoubtedly one of the most popular cloud computing platforms. According to RightScale’s State of the Cloud Report 2019, AWS was the most used cloud computing tool of that year, with 67% of respondents actively using the platform. First launched in 2006, it operates in 20 geographical regions globally. AWS includes a number of products to address various business needs. It allows businesses to virtually host many kinds of applications. It is also possible to create your own private cloud on AWS.

Microsoft Azure

Previously known as Windows Azure, Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform developed by one of the world’s leading tech companies. It is the second most used cloud platform according to RightScale. Microsoft Azure offers a comprehensive range of products covering AI, IoT, security, analytics, containers, databases and more. It also has its own software such as IIS, MS SQL, and Exchange Server. Its extensive range makes Microsoft Azure suitable for practically any industry and across most locations, including those in mainland China.

Google Cloud Platform

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a suite of cloud computing services that allow businesses to work in serverless computing environments, as well as providing services such as storage, machine learning, and data analytics. GCP is available in various tiers, including a free version, and options for startups and SMEs.

IBM Cloud

Another cloud platform by one of the big names in computing, IBM cloud offers a vast number of services relating to storage, networking, analytics, data management, IoT, security, and more. Geared towards mid-sized businesses, IBM Cloud comes with pre-configured tools that are fully customizable. IBM Cloud’s hardware servers are “bare metal”, meaning clients have exclusive access to their own server, making for better performance.

Why should my business use cloud computing?

Cloud computing has many benefits for businesses of all sizes. As well as boosting efficiencies, it saves on network and hardware costs, which can represent significant savings for businesses. Working in the cloud also allows for better team collaboration, while providing access to a large range of applications and tools to improve business performance.

Using one of the best cloud computing platforms, such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform and IBM cloud will help your business to improve performance, reduce expenses, and reach your goals more effectively.