What is Cloud Computing and what career options does the field offer

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services on demand over the Internet, including applications, servers, data storage, development tools, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence, and is hosted at a remote data centre managed by a cloud services provider (CSP) to provide faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.The CSP makes these resources available for a monthly membership fee or bills them based on utilisation, lowering your operational expenses, improving the efficiency of your infrastructure, and allowing you to scale as your business needs evolve. IT infrastructure is turned into a utility using cloud computing and it allows you to connect to infrastructure over the internet and use computational resources without having to install and maintain them on-site.
Benefits of Cloud Computing
1) Lower IT costs
Purchase, installation, configuration, and management of on-premises infrastructure are all eliminated with cloud computing. It eliminates the need for servers, 24/7 electricity for power and cooling, and IT experts to manage the infrastructure, saving you money.
2) Improve responsiveness and speed
Instead of lingering for weeks or months for IT to respond to a request, purchase, configure supporting hardware and install software, cloud computing allows your organisation to start using enterprise applications in minutes, typically with just a few mouse clicks. This gives businesses a lot of flexibility and relieves the pressure on capacity planning.
3) Scale globally, effectively
The capacity to scale flexibly is one of the advantages of cloud computing services. You may scale capacity up and down in response to highs and lows in traffic instead of purchasing excess capacity that sits unused during sluggish periods. You can also use your cloud provider's global network to make your apps more accessible to users all around the globe.
4) Performance, Reliability and Security
The most popular cloud computing services are hosted on a global network of secure data centres that are continually upgraded to the most up-to-date generation of fast and efficient computing technology. This reduces network latency for apps while also allowing for better economies of scale. Because data may be duplicated across numerous redundant sites on the cloud provider's network, cloud computing enables data backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity easier and less expensive.
Many cloud providers offer a comprehensive set of policies, technologies, and controls to help you improve your overall security posture and secure your data, apps, and infrastructure from threats.
Types of Cloud Computing
1) Public cloud
Public clouds, which provide computing resources such as servers and storage through the Internet, are generally owned and operated by third-party cloud service providers.
Over the last few years, the global market for public cloud computing has exploded, and many businesses are migrating elements of their computing infrastructure to the cloud. It is seen that a web browser is used to access these services and manage your account. A public cloud, such as Microsoft Azure, is one such example of it.
In some cases, these resources are available for free and to unlock premium tools they are available for a fee based on a subscription or pay-per-use basis. The public cloud provider owns, operates, and bears full responsibility for the data centres, hardware, and infrastructure that its customers' workloads run on. The public cloud usually provides high-bandwidth network connectivity to assure high performance and quick access to applications and data.
2) Private Cloud
A private cloud is a cloud environment in which one customer has exclusive access to all cloud infrastructure and computing resources. A private cloud might be physically situated in the data centre of a firm. Some companies also pay for third-party service providers to host their private clouds.
Many businesses prefer the private cloud to the public cloud because it is easier to meet regulatory compliance standards in the private cloud. Others prefer the private cloud because their workloads include proprietary documents, personally identifiable information, medical records, financial data, and other sensitive information.
3) Hybrid cloud
A hybrid cloud is a mix of public and private cloud environments linked by technology that allows data and applications to be exchanged between them. A hybrid cloud unifies an organization's private and public cloud services into a single & flexible architecture for executing apps & workloads.
Career Prospects in Cloud Computing
1) Cloud Software Engineer
A cloud software engineer is a programmer who focuses on cloud computing. They make software that is based on cloud service architectures and the systems that support them. They collaborate with a team of programmers and developers to design and implement software, which necessitates good teamwork and coding skills, as well as routine maintenance and debugging.
2) Cloud System Engineer
Cloud System Engineers are in charge of implementing and maintaining the solution in customer data centres. They create innovative cloud-based platforms to satisfy specific company demands. To ensure the greatest levels of availability, they manage, install, test, configure, and maintain operating systems and applications. To provide best-in-class solutions, services, and customer support, they collaborate with the architecture, operations, sales, marketing, and executive leadership teams.
3) Cloud Database Administrator
As a database administrator, you're in charge of data, your company's most valuable asset. Managing your data on the cloud isn't all that different from managing it on-premises, but it's done differently, with new tools and capabilities to help you advance in your DBA career. As cloud technology has advanced, this vocation has expanded to incorporate other data access activities such as data recovery, security, and access speed. You now have less arduous chores to master to accomplish your job on a larger scale.
4) Cloud Security Administrator
Cloud-based systems hold a lot of data, thus it is important to make sure it is secure. Making and implementing security measures both internally and in conjunction with cloud service providers, as well as monitoring systems for potential attacks, are usual responsibilities. In addition, the professional leads, oversees and maintains a multiuser computer environment as per the organization's needs. If you work in a sector with its own set of regulations, such as healthcare or government, you'll need to incorporate their security rules into your cloud system. This person must have a solid technical understanding of virtual machines.
5) Final Word
It can be seen that professionals with cloud computing skills will be in high demand as more firms throughout the world undergo strategic digital transformations. Cloud computing workers benefit from the field's flexibility in addition to high compensation and job availability. Most jobs in the industry can be done remotely, which protects workers from many of the working risks brought on by the COVID-19 epidemic and allows them to work from anywhere in the world.