Public cloud: understand what this concept is and how it works!

Digital transformation has considerably changed the routine of organisations, demanding the need to adapt to the new times in the IT sector. Those who still do not work, for example, with cloud computing, are being left behind and swallowed by competitors.

The public cloud is a great solution for those who are making the migration to this model of computing. More and more organizations are using this model. According to Gartner, one of the leading authorities in the IT industry, worldwide public cloud revenue is expected to grow 17% by 2020, which would represent a growth of US$ 116 billion.

Your company has not yet entered this migration process? Then understand what is the public cloud and answer your questions on the subject.

What is public cloud?

The public cloud is a cloud model in which it is possible to virtualize services and hardware resources, allowing IT staff to develop solutions and run them in these environments, as well as to store data in shared cloud computing locations, in which several other users share the same resources.

It is important to stress that this does not mean that other users of the public cloud have access to individual databases - inviolability is guaranteed by information security mechanisms and protocols generated by the service provider.

Any entity can become a public cloud provider. But it is important to rely on companies that offer more reliable and stable services, especially to ensure greater security for data and applications.

What is the difference between public and private cloud?

Private and public clouds have the same configuration, using specific technologies to virtualise resources that can be used by developers in their solutions.

While private clouds are systems dedicated to contracting users, the public cloud is provided as a shared service, providing resources to multiple users. And we can still put, in this list, the hybrid cloud, which is when you combine two or more cloud environments, and may be public or private.

When it comes to benefits, compared to the private cloud, it tends to be less costly, as costs are shared with other public cloud users. In addition, it is a service with simpler management, making it easier for the employees responsible for managing the cloud applications.

On the other hand, there is a disadvantage, compared to the other model, in the security of the information circulating there, especially when we talk about sensitive data for organisations. Another complicating point is a longer response time to requests, since the infrastructure service will be requested by thousands of other users.

What is the current usage of the public cloud like?

For some companies that are starting the process of migrating to the cloud now, the public mode is usually chosen, as it is a good start for good strategies because it offers greater data mobility.

With this, less sensitive data that does not require so much secrecy can be viewed and edited through mobile devices, ensuring greater flexibility to perform internal functions in the company.

It is also widely used for backups of data that are not sensitive. Thus, in case of system failure, you can resort to the information available in the public cloud and ensure task continuity.

It is often used mainly by companies that are seeking a period of adaptation before starting to invest in a private cloud, or for SMEs that still need greater budgetary control at the moment and cannot rely on the private service.

It is important to stress that, despite all the support offered by the service provider with regard to firmware updates, service availability, essential information security resources, among others, it is the user's responsibility to apply patches and more complex configurations.

What solutions does the public cloud offer?

Some of the services that the cloud offers to its users are:

• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service ): the company uses the infrastructure resources available in the cloud;
• PaaS (Platform as a Service ): is the service of hosting and implementing hardware and software to promote applications in the online environment;
• SaaS (Software as a Service ): the solution is hosted and runs directly on the cloud server.

What care should be taken when using it?

When a company begins to apply the cloud in their day to day, it is essential that important care be taken to avoid problems that compromise its use over time. See the main ones below.

Look at your public cloud provider

One point, for example, is that the service is integrated into your company's IT infrastructure. It is therefore crucial to find a good service that allows this kind of functionality. It is also important to have a reliable organisation with the necessary support in case of unavailability and problems.

Take care of data security

Another key point is to take proper care of information security. This is because, although the provider has its own protocols, the shared nature of the cloud is quite delicate for the maintenance of more sensitive data in this environment.

It is important, therefore, that organisations' IT managers have their own measures for caring for this area. Some tips are:

• avoid using open networking to access the public cloud;
• apply security protocols specific to your company;
• train and make users in the organisation aware of essential security measures (such as passwords);
• implement an access level policy in your company.

Understand how paying for the use of the public cloud works

A common confusion on the part of those who will be responsible for managing the cloud is to understand that payment for the service is not usually made by a monthly fee. Most vendors work with on-demand payment.

In other words, you will only pay for the costs of what you use. To have greater control over costs, it is necessary to know what the average consumption of resources is. With this in hand, you can more easily project what the average costs will be.

One way to get a better understanding and better cost management is to use a cloud calculator. This will make it easier to identify how much your IT might cost in the cloud.

Implementing the public cloud in your business can be an alternative to adapt the company to the new IT times. For this, therefore, it is essential to have the support of a specialized business that offers all the necessary support.

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