Before you can determine which cloud  computing services may be right for you, you need to know a bit about  what the cloud is and how cloud technologies work.

The term can be as hazy as physical clouds, but the cloud can best be defined as an entire IT environment that organizations use  remotely, rather than maintaining on their own. Some components of this  digital infrastructure include:

• Networks

• Servers

• Data centers

• Operating systems

• Hardware, software, and middleware

• Application programming interfaces (APIs)

• Mobile apps and software applications

The term “cloud computing” means using cloud resources to run a company’s IT operations. Some possible cloud computing tasks include:

• Data storage

• Server access

• Networking

• Software development, usage, or implementation

• Much more

From serverless computing to mass  data storage, if it involves the use of host-based services to carry out  your IT operations, you can consider it a form of cloud computing — and  the remote environment that powers it is the cloud.

Basic Principles of Cloud Technologies

Another key component in understanding cloud technologies is knowing where they come from and what options are available.

To begin using cloud-based resources,  organizations must purchase them from a cloud services provider (CSP),  often on a subscription basis. Also known as cloud providers, CSPs are  the hosts that own, manage, and maintain the components of your cloud  infrastructure. While others exist outside of  these, the most popular CSPs are tech giants such as Amazon Web  Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud — leaders that are capable  of handling your business’s IT needs.

The types of cloud computing models  that CSPs offer vary based on either the cloud type or the cloud  services delivered. There are four types of clouds in cloud computing,  with three types of service delivery, also known as shared  responsibility models (SRMs). The three different SRMs are:

• Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), in which CSPs manage the hardware, servers, network, and other underlying infrastructure components

• Platform-as-a-service (PaaS),  in which CSPs provide the development environment that companies need  to launch their own applications and manage their data as they see fit

• Software-as-a-service (SaaS), in which CSPs manage all of the hardware, software, middleware, and application security for the company’s stack

Each SRM has its own level of CSP and  customer involvement, but the other half of the equation is choosing  between the four types of cloud computing that providers offer. Only  then can organizations choose the right IT environment for their needs  while implementing cloud computing best practices.

Types of Cloud Computing

There are four different types of  cloud computing: public, private, hybrid, and community. They vary in  their levels of accessibility, security risks, costs, and other factors,  and each one carries its own advantages and disadvantages. Selecting  the type that aligns with your business interests is crucial for making  sure your cloud operations are a success, so make sure you understand  the differences before you jump in.

1. Public Cloud Computing

The most common type of cloud  infrastructure, public cloud computing consists of a wide number of  users accessing a host of remote servers that are connected to form a  single all-encompassing network.

In the public cloud model, you’re  allotted a portion of your CSP’s cloud infrastructure, with your data  and other digital assets being stored within the environment. Think of  it as renting someone else’s digital space and allowing them to take  care of the maintenance.

Advantages of Public Cloud Computing

Public cloud computing offers several  advantages, primarily due to its versatility and scale. Large CSPs such  as Microsoft and Amazon have the capacity to host a wide number of  users simultaneously, regardless of their clients’ bandwidth or  demands.

The result is that public cloud  computing models can likely provide the flexibility and scope of  services that individual users will need. The mass tenancy coupled with  threat actors’ intensified interest in targeting public clouds does make  security a concern, but top-level CSPs should have the cybersecurity  resources needed to ward off threats. And since threat actors are likely  to attack both public and private clouds, choosing an established CSP  may be the best security strategy available.

2. Private Cloud Computing

While public cloud infrastructure  allows a wide number of users to access the same remote IT environment,  private clouds are reserved for individual users, departments, or  organizations. A public cloud becomes a private cloud once it’s secured  behind a firewall or with some other restrictive measure. Some CSPs have  even begun installing bare-metal infrastructure components on-site,  further blurring the line between the public and private cloud models.

Benefits of Using a Private Cloud

The main benefit of the private cloud  model is that organizations own their entire IT environment, so all  components are reserved just for them. This can potentially mean greater  security since there are fewer users accessing your cloud, but that  holds true only if you implement the cloud security practices needed to minimize your attack surface.

The other benefit of having all of  your resources devoted solely to your operations is that your cloud will  have the stability it needs to meet your fluctuating usage and demands.  You won’t run the risk of bumping into latency or downtime issues, as  you could when a large number of users all flock to a public cloud at  once, so private cloud users experience greater business continuity  since their stack is always devoted to them.

3. Hybrid Cloud Computing

In an effort to deliver the best of  both worlds, hybrid clouds combine the devoted resources of a private  cloud with the managed infrastructure that a public cloud has to offer.  CSPs offering a hybrid cloud structure implement a “pay as you go”  business model, through which companies can keep their important data  within their own on-prem infrastructure and send any excess to their  public cloud.

Advantages of a Hybrid Approach

The advantage of hybrid cloud  environments is that they allow companies to maintain their own baseline  security and resources while giving them the chance to scale up  whenever they need to. If their bandwidth or data storage needs grow  seasonally or scale over time, companies may pay for additional services  while preserving their own private environment — and they can scale  back down if their needs ever drop in the future.

Another advantage is that companies  using the hybrid cloud model are charged only for the services they use.  Instead of being tied down to an arbitrary service level, organizations  can purchase all of the services they need and nothing they don’t — all  while preserving their privacy.

4. Community Cloud Computing

A subset of the hybrid cloud model,  community clouds consist of a smaller number of users who have agreed to  share the responsibilities and resources corresponding to their cloud.  These users often have similar attributes, such as a shared industry or  regulations, so they band together to manage their own cloud environment  instead of sharing their digital space with just anyone.

Key Advantages of Community Clouds

Maintaining your own cloud can be a  resource-intensive task. Community clouds lighten this load by  distributing the responsibility among users with common interests,  simplifying everyone’s cloud maintenance efforts in the process.

Another benefit is that community  clouds let you share your cloud with a select number of trusted users,  so you enjoy better security than what public clouds can offer. These  organizations often share common industry standards, making them likely  to implement similar cloud security policies, which can make your own  compliance efforts that much easier.

Considerations for Choosing a Cloud Type

Whether it’s the many types of  virtualization or the different SRM policies that CSPs adhere to,  companies have many factors to consider when they’re deciding which  cloud type would suit them best. A few factors to consider are:

• Security: There are several types of security in cloud computing, so companies must decide how to keep their assets safe.

• Responsibility model: Whether it’s IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS, companies must choose which parts of  their IT environment they wish to manage themselves, and which ones  they’d like their CSP to handle.

• Cloud type: If companies can accept sharing their space with others, a public cloud  may be best, while a private cloud is best suited for those that can  maintain their entire IT stack with little difficulty. Those that fall  somewhere in the middle may wish to consider the hybrid or community  cloud model.

Other factors, such as scalability  and compliance, should also be a part of your cloud considerations — and  whatever solution you choose must come at a price you can afford.

Begin Your Digital Transformation With Consensus Cloud Solutions

From private clouds that allow for  greater autonomy to public clouds that offer more flexibility, the many  different types of cloud computing services available give companies  access to the leading-edge IT services that their operations require. If  those two extremes don’t fit your business’s needs, then in-between  models such as hybrid, community, or multi-cloud offerings may provide  the best of both worlds. Other CSPs configure their offerings according  to the type of service they deliver, so the key is to find the cloud  computing model that meets your needs.

At Consensus, we offer a host of  digital faxing solutions that align with whatever cloud infrastructure  you choose. Our flagship product can follow industry-specific  regulations, and it’s compatible with all cloud-based delivery models.  Consensus’ tools can help you send digital faxes and assist with your  document management processes, so request a demo today and see how we can help you.