You’re probably connecting to cloud services more often than you realize. Many people access the cloud without even knowing it. Cloud computing powers applications you use at work, at home and on the go. Any time you want to access, retrieve or share information for personal or business use, the cloud is part of the picture.
Living Life in the Cloud
How does this invisible infrastructure affect daily life? It’s nearly impossible to go through a day without using some kind of cloud service. Cloud-based interactions include:
• Streaming music or videos from services like Netflix, Pandora, Hulu and Spotify
• Listening to podcasts
• Storing documents in Office 365 or Google Docs
• Uploading pictures to Google Photos or iCloud
• Collaborating with colleagues via project management tools, such as Trello and Basecamp
• Using ERP, CRM and CMS to automate business tasks
Most individuals and companies have become reliant on these cloud services and don’t realize how often cloud computing comes into play.
Cloud Computing
Cloud Services You May Not Know You’re Using
The cloud is meant to operate in the background, carrying out tasks once requiring complex onsite infrastructure. Some of the things people now take for granted weren’t even possible before the cloud became a fixture of the digital world.
Think of how often you check social media or interact with a social platform in some way. The cloud is involved whether you’re scrolling through your news feed on Facebook, pinning a recipe to Pinterest or hitting the “love” icon on an Instagram picture. Every time you download any type of digital media, even an e-book from the library, the information comes from a remote cloud server.
You’re using the cloud at work when you open messages from colleagues in Slack or update a collaborative document. If you run a business, your entire sales process may rely on the cloud to capture customer data, update inventory and move customers’ orders through to fulfillment.
The Cloud is Changing Everyday Life
Thanks to cloud storage, businesses are able to automate more processes and improve resource allocation. In fact, 93 percent of companies are currently using the cloud in some way. Healthcare workers can now easily send electronic patient records from one facility to another, creating a better environment for care and minimizing the risk of errors. Students have more access to online courses and help from educators, and simplified infrastructure makes it possible to provide digital services to more areas of the world.
Building a Better Cloud Experience
Casual users of the cloud don’t think much about what goes on behind the scenes, but if you’re a businessperson looking to deliver a superior experience to your customers, you need a flexible solution. NuoDB puts a spin on traditional SQL databases with its elastic structure and high level of adaptability. Capable of working with multiple platforms, NuoDB provides more power “under the hood” on demand.
If you anticipate a lot of fluctuation in use and data in an application, using an elastic database allows you to tap into the cloud for improved performance.. The ability of NuoDB to scale on demand means everyone interacting with your app has the same seamless experience.
Use of cloud technology has increased exponentially in recent years and shows no signs of slowing down. Embrace the benefits for personal and business use now so that you can take full advantage of new developments as they come along. Experiment with connecting and integrating different services until you have a balance designed to support your computing needs, and start enjoying a more dynamic computing environment.
