The Cloud - How Cloud Computing Changes Everything¶
Source: https://www.wte.net/The-Cloud-%E2%80%93-How-Cloud-Computing-Changes-Everything
Date: October 2022
Author: Eric Garrison
What is the Cloud?¶
Servers from data centers worldwide running software and managing databases accessed via the Internet comprise "the cloud." Cloud computing allows users and companies to avoid managing physical servers or running software locally on their machines. WTE partners with Amazon, Google, and Microsoft cloud services.
The cloud provides access freedom by moving software, applications, and databases from physical to virtual machines, enabling people to access files and data from nearly any Internet-connected device. Computing and storage occur on cloud servers in data centers rather than on personal computers.
Virtualization—cloud computing's fundamental concept—creates virtual computers mimicking physical computers' behavior while existing only digitally. Quality cloud vendors isolate virtual machines from one another. Today, file sharing typically happens through Microsoft 365, Google Drive, or Dropbox rather than physical cables.
Virtualization improves hosting hardware efficiency. A single physical server becomes multiple servers, and one data center effectively becomes many. Cloud partners serve more customers simultaneously through virtualization, increasing efficiency while diminishing IT costs.
Lowering IT costs and eliminating server maintenance—as cloud vendors assume management responsibilities—benefits startups and SMBs. Avoiding hardware depreciation allows these businesses to allocate resources more productively. International operations become simpler because employees and customers access identical files and applications from any location.
Cloud Enabled Services¶
Cloud-enabled freedom and cost reductions follow several paths, each with specific terminology:
SaaS/PaaS Hybrids¶
WTE's AgileSite and AgileSite Lite business website technologies and PointShop Enterprise ecommerce solution combine Software-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service. Through partnership with Umbraco Cloud, WTE uses Umbraco's software and development tools to control codebases and direct database access for enhanced website functionality.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)¶
SaaS applications are hosted on cloud servers and accessed via Internet rather than installed locally. Adobe Cloud, Slack, and Microsoft 365 exemplify popular SaaS applications.
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)¶
PaaS providers offer development tools, database infrastructure, and operating systems that companies rent to build applications. Azure and Force.com represent common technologies WTE utilizes.
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)¶
For custom application and software development, WTE rents servers and databases from multiple cloud providers, including Google Compute Engine and OpenStack. IaaS functions as leasing land where users build whatever desired, providing their own equipment and materials.
Function-as-a-Service (FaaS)¶
FaaS, also called serverless computing, breaks cloud applications into small components that only run and incur costs when needed. AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, and Microsoft Azure Functions employ pay-as-you-use models similar to renting specific rooms only when actively using them.
The Cloud Changes Everything¶
Cloud-enabled technology's speed, scope, and breadth may escape non-IT readers' notice. Tasks requiring days now take minutes; hardware management time redirects toward coding and customer assistance; development infrastructure costs decrease significantly.
These physical benefits pale against employee and customer advantages. Cloud development infrastructure enables developers to work anywhere. This same infrastructure allows WTE to create, monitor, and maintain websites across geographic ranges. The impact and power of location-independent operations cannot be fully calculated.
According to VMware: "Every organization is now defined by the digital services it delivers" through engagement with customers and employees via new experiences, building revenue opportunities, and creating digital-first touchpoints.
WTE's Three-Legged Approach to Innovation¶
Recognizing accelerating change, WTE developed a three-pronged innovation strategy:
Lego-Like Code¶
Code written in blocks with hooks facilitates connection to other blocks or Application Program Interfaces (APIs).
Extreme Programming (XP)¶
Influenced by Kent Beck's pragmatic approach outlined in "Extreme Programming Explained: Embrace Change," XP emphasizes business results with immediate starts while committing to continuous testing and revisions accelerating product development.
Agile Software Development¶
Using personas and collaborative tools, WTE develops products partnering with customers and end-users through self-organizing cross-functional teams.
Faster application development allows WTE to redirect time toward helping customers identify digital experiences cutting through noise and clutter to engage audiences effectively. Infinite possibilities require analysis, creativity, and imagination to determine what truly merits implementation.
How WTE Uses the Cloud¶
WTE applies cloud technology across custom software, website development, content management, marketing, and IT services. Examples include online services for distributed healthcare providers, distributed stock trading training platforms, and the Community in a Box beta platform Rideology.io.
Customer data backs up to multiple clouds every few minutes, because simultaneous multiple-cloud failures are unacceptable scenarios. Interested parties should contact Eric@WTE.net to discuss cloud computing implementations.
Resources¶
- CloudFlare: What is the cloud?
- VMware: Driving Digital Business with App and Cloud Transformation
- Jonathan Brofsky's Hammering Man at The University of Florida's Harn Museum