The needs of a business can change quickly and with that, fast and reliable solutions are essential. Cloud hosting is a key part of making those solutions not only available but affordable and workable as they become integrated into an already growing business. But just what is cloud hosting and how can you benefit.
The View from Above on Cloud Hosting
It takes a network to build a business and that is at its core, what cloud hosting is. Websites and applications are accessible through multiple cloud sources. Where traditional hosting offers website access through a single server, a cloud hosting company uses a network of virtual and physical cloud servers to provide website or application access with greater confidence, increased flexibility, and total scalability.
What that all means is that with cloud hosting, you can expect:
- The hosting to deploy solutions over a series of servers rather than just one
- Required resources are scalable to meet the needs of the user
- Pay only for the resources used
- Support for SQL and NoSQL databases
- Automated solutions controlled by APIs, mobile apps, and web portals
Benefits of Cloud Hosting
There are some key benefits to working with cloud hosting over traditional hosting models:
- Flexibility- This was noted earlier, but what does it mean? While traditional hosting features only limited bandwidth capability, cloud hosting can scale up the bandwidth as needed to keep a website running through heavy traffic spikes or seasonal needs.
- Pay-As-You-Go- Traditional hosting usually requires a flat rate payment regardless of what you use. With cloud hosting, however, you only pay for the resources you use, whether that is monthly or even on an hourly basis.
- Uptime Reliability- Because your website is hosted on a server network, you are not vulnerable to server shutdowns, giving your visitors more opportunity to utilize your site. Where a single server setup may be subjected to hardware failure, that is not the case with cloud hosting as all traffic is spread across a wide network, so if one goes down, the others compensate with segregated and secured information.
What to Look for in Cloud Hosting
Some considerations to take into account when handing over your hosting to the cloud include:
- Security- Go with a hosting service that can provide the security you need, whether it is physical security, operational, specialized for applications, and data security.
- Sensitive Information- You may need to separate data through your hardware to keep confidential information on a separate server or you may inquire about other solutions.
- Support- You will find automated support systems when needed but you may rely on specialized services to ensure your hosting is handled appropriately.
- Performance- Cloud hosting is known for maintaining excellent uptime but ensure your provider is prepared with reliable online connections to stave off latency issues.
It’s time to make the switch to the next level of your corporate online presence with cloud hosting. It’s no longer about what cloud hosting is or whether it’s the right move, but when you’ll be ready to take advantage of it.
