Cloud storage and all of its related terms have become so ingrained in today’s increasingly technology-dependent world that many people have utilized cloud services while not being able to identify what exactly the cloud is and how it functions. In fact, reports show up to 80 percent of individuals have worked with cloud storage solutions for business-related or personal reasons at least once in their lives. If you’re an owner of an iPad, any files you have on it automatically transfer to the Apple cloud service: iCloud. Gmail, one of the most common email services out there, also works via the cloud.
However, if you asked the average person what the cloud is supposed to be, you would likely get a nebulous answer. For the curious, we hope to provide a more concrete definition and clear some of the fog.
What Is the Cloud Anyway?
Think about the digital storage methods we used long ago and that can provide a good idea of how cloud storage solutions operate. Before we had cloud services to store our data, we had to settle for portable alternatives for things we couldn’t keep on our hard drives alone. If you needed a file for work that was created on a different PC, you had to resort to using floppy disks, which were limited as far as the amount of data they could carry. The first solution to this came in the form of travel drives, but even then, if you updated your file, you had to continually re-add it to the travel drive or else risk showing up to work with an outdated project.
Cloud storage solves these two problems through its large amount of storage options and its syncing capabilities. Through the cloud, you have free access to any files you’ve stored, which update in real time as you edit them. Moreover, you can reach them from any device you own anywhere.
The Main Functions of Cloud Storage
The cloud isn’t a monolith, despite the phrasing. There are all sorts of cloud managed service providers you can utilize for cloud storage, all of which offer different features depending upon your needs. What you place in cloud storage is ultimately tied to you, though they share space with multitudes of other cloud user accounts. This doesn’t mean others you share cloud space with can view or open what you upload—unless you choose to give them permission for editing purposes or any other reasons.
All cloud storage does is give you a place to keep files you can’t or don’t want to limit to one computer. It serves as a place to store your important information, as well as collaborate with your company members, regardless of your location.
We hope this dispels some of the mystery surrounding cloud storage and cloud business solutions. If you have any other questions or are interested in learning about our own cloud services, contact us.
