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Info Byte

                     The services and solutions delivered and consumed in real-time over the internet are called
                     cloud services.


                  i +  BENEFITS OF CLOUD COMPUTING

                 Following are some benefits of cloud computing:
                 •  Easy Accessibility: Cloud services are available and accessible globally to everyone who has
                    a computer or any device with an Internet connection. There is no specialised hardware or
                    software required.

                 •  Cost Effective: One has to pay minimal or no subscription charges to avail the services. It
                    saves us from buying expensive specialised hardware or software.
                 •  Flexibility: The services provided by cloud computing are available 24 hours of the day and
                    seven days a week, and can also allow us to increase and decrease computing needs, hence,
                    providing users with the flexibility to work as per their requirement.
                 •  Shares Workload with User: The user’s computer is not burdened with different types of
                    software and programs, and the space required for software is lifted off the user’s memory.

                  i +  HOW DOES CLOUD COMPUTING WORK?

                 Cloud computing can be divided into two sections: front end and the back end. Internet is the

                 link that joins both ends. The front end belongs to the users/clients from where they access the
                 Internet for data, and the back end belongs the cloud computing provider.
                 The front end includes computers, simple applications, and all the means required to access
                 the cloud servers. The back end includes various applications and dedicated servers for each
                 computer program. This gap between the client and the cloud is then bridged by the Internet.

                  i +  CHARACTERISTICS  OF CLOUD COMPUTING

                 Cloud Computing has become very popular these days due to certain characteristics it has. Let
                 us discuss some of the characteristics of Cloud Computing one by one.

                 •  No Dependence on Location and Devices: Cloud computing lets access the resources with
                    the help of a web browser. It does not depend on the device from which the user wants to
                    use the cloud computing services. The users can access it from anywhere and anytime due to
                    online infrastructure and internet-based access.
                 •  Easy to Maintain: Cloud Computing applications are easy to maintain do not require to be
                    installed on the computers of every user. Anyone who is  travelling or is at a different location
                    for work can use the services without any hassle.
                 •  On-Demand Self Service: This characteristic of cloud computing helps users to use these
                    services as per their demand without time and location restrictions.

                 •  Resource Sharing: Cloud computing allows multiple users at a time. So, it merges all the
                    computer resources like hardware, software, network connections etc. over a network.




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                                                                                              Cloud Computing
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