You must have heard the term Cloud Computing more often and wondered what is cloud computing in the real sense? We are here to assist you. Cloud Computing can be simply defined as allocating computing services such as servers, storage, databases, networking, software analysis, etc.; all over the Internet. Cloud computing can be used to extend innovation, enhance flexible resources, & boost-up economies of scale.
A user using cloud computing pays just for this service & hence cloud services help reduce operating costs. It even increases the infrastructure & scale for a firm/business which needs change. It's not always necessary for a user to own his/her computing infrastructure or data centres. Instead, a user can rent access to applications or storage from a cloud service provider.
Cloud computing services come with a huge benefit; i.e., they minimize the firm's upfront cost. It even reduces users' complexity of owning and maintaining their own IT infrastructure. Instead, it simply asks a user to pay for the services used.
What is IoT?
The Internet of Things (IoT) establishes a relationship between the network of physical objects (containing sensors) & software. It even offers tools & mechanisms to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the cloud "the internet". Ordinary household objects, sophisticated industrial tools, etc. are all included in these devices.
At present, 7 billion+ users are connected to IoT devices. To add on, experts anticipate this number to extend up to 10 billion by 2020 and maybe up to 22 billion by 2025. In the 21st C. The Internet of Things is one of the most crucial technologies used by millions of users.
The IoT technology has flourished to such an extent that today one can establish an easy connection between everyday objects & the internet. These objects count in kitchen appliances, cars, baby monitors, etc. IoT embedded devices provide seamless communication amidst people, processes & things.
Role of Cloud Computing in IoT
There are several roles of Cloud Computing in IoT. Some of the primary roles are as follows:
" Scalability
Positioning cloud services into the IoT system is highly scalable. This scalability safeguards network infrastructures thereby cutting off extra charges required for purchasing hardware. It even saves overall time invested hence enhancing accuracy. Moreover, IoT cloud computing offers flexibility for scaling down the number of IoT-enabled devices.
" Data Mobility
The data stored and processed in the cloud server is very easily accessible. Moreover, it can be assessed from almost everywhere & anywhere globally. Cloud computing is boundless of any infrastructural or network limitations. IoT projects demand mobility, real-time monitoring & effective management of connected devices; which are all offered by Cloud Computing.
" Security
Security is one of the major issues which an IoT system faces since its development. Thankfully, this issue can be solved by embedding cloud platforms into IoT infrastructure. Until its on-premise servers, the security charges lie solely in the hands of the organization. This leads to major security issues experienced on behalf of some organizations. Even though, the clients & cloud service providers agree on a common understanding.
" Cost-Effectiveness
Cloud computing reduces up-front costs to a significant level. Users find its 'pay per use' policy very effective. Cost-effectiveness can be considered as one of the best features attracting many IoT-based businesses to switch to the cloud.
Relationship between IoT and Cloud Computing
Cloud computing & IoT are related to each other. Working with cloud computing on IoT enhances the efficiency of everyday tasks. To highlight their complementary relationship; IoT produces a huge amount of data & cloud computing leads the way for this data to travel. Having said that, cloud hosting service signifies the efficiency of IoT start-ups by bestowing economies of scale. The average cost structure can magnificently be reduced by cloud computing.
Cloud computing when used in collaboration with IoT proves to be efficient for developers. Cloud computing's relation with IoT facilitates developers to reserve & access data remotely. Hence, the cloud assists developers in time management by letting developers implement projects without delay.
Users storing data in the cloud can easily access a vast scale of big data utilized by IoT companies. So, precisely speaking about the relationship between IoT and cloud, each of the two complements the other in a hassle-free manner.
In case you want to explore IoT in detail, there can be no better place than The IoT Academy. With dedicated mentors at work, you can clear your doubts in no time and march ahead one step closer to your dream job.
