Cloud, Technology
Cloud Computing: a technology within everyone's reach
The perception of the cloud has evolved significantly in recent years. Initially, it was seen as a domain reserved for a privileged few capable of understanding and accessing it. However, nowadays, anyone can become familiar with cloud technologies.
What is Cloud?
The cloud is conceived as a platform that provides on-demand availability of virtual IT resources, whether for personal or business use.
The most common payment model is pay-as-you-go, where you are billed only for the actual use of resources and services.
When using cloud services or infrastructure, as a customer, you typically do not own the physical infrastructure, but rather “rent” a virtualized portion of it from the provider. In this way, the hardware used to deliver the service is transparent to the user.
Among the most commonly used types of services are Cloud Storage, Cloud Networking, Cloud Databases, and Cloud Computing.
The cloud in everyday use
More and more people are using some type of cloud service in their daily lives, even those outside the IT field.
Often, it’s so ingrained in our routines that we’re not even aware of it. Given the ease of use of these tools, you don’t need a technical background to store files in the cloud, for example.
However, the cloud isn’t just about having storage space available from anywhere; it’s also reflected in a multitude of collaboration tools and everyday services like email.
Some of the most representative use cases for cloud collaboration tools include Microsoft 365, Google Workspace (G Suite), Zoom, Slack, and Trello.
We can also find specialized cloud solutions, such as QuickBooks, a tool specifically designed for accounting and invoicing.
Cloud Computing Service Models
Depending on the needs that need to be met, there are different cloud service models. Each one provides different levels of control and is geared towards different types of users.
1. Software as a Service (SaaS). This allows companies to deliver applications or software directly to end users over the internet. The service provider handles all aspects of the process: application, data, servers, network, storage, operating system, virtualization, etc.
Examples: Zoom, Dropbox, Mailchimp, or Slack.
2. Platform as a Service (PaaS). The service provider offers a cloud-based development and deployment environment. This way, software developers only need to focus on managing the application and data on the platform.
Examples: AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Google App Engine, or Heroku.
3. Function as a Service (FaaS). This service allows developers to execute code in response to events using a serverless framework. In other words, the service provider allocates machine resources on demand to process the requested function and return the resulting response.
Thanks to FaaS services, the user’s only responsibility is managing the application, allowing them to focus their efforts on developing the function to meet business needs.
Examples: AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, Azure Functions.
4. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). This is a form of cloud computing that provides virtualized computing services over the internet. An abstraction layer is applied over the hardware to offer complete control over the software.
IaaS services are geared towards IT architects or administrators who don’t need to know aspects such as actual disk capacity or processor power.
Examples: Amazon EC2, Google Compute Engine, or Azure Virtual Machines.
Application in the financial sector
The use of cloud services is essential to accelerate the digital transformation of the financial sector. This is achieved thanks to the Speed to Market it offers, fostering innovation and agility in development.
Likewise, it is important to ensure business continuity by offering high availability and recovery times guaranteed by SLAs for the applications and services used in the cloud.
Using only the resources needed at any given time and requiring minimal management translates into cost savings and scalability according to demand.
All of this is supported by robust security standards that protect applications, data, and infrastructure, as well as ensuring regulatory compliance.
