Pros and Cons

Firstly, could computing enables data to be accessed through virtual machines and lightweight portable devices based on a flexible IT architecture. In business area, people can work on the same project through different devices, thus cloud computing greatly improves the working efficiency.

Secondly, could computing can potentially eliminate the high -cost computing infrastructure setting up for the IT-based solutions and services in the industry. Could computing also allows increasing in the capacity of existing and new software. Therefore, could computing can free business from managing data centers and let business focus more on developing and operating applications that have business values.

Thirdly, could computing enables businesses to develop new applications faster. By leveraging platform as a service (PaaS), it becomes easy for companies to provision infrastructure and therefore companies can quickly image and develop the new applications.

Fourthly, cloud computing enables companies to expand their global presence. SoftLayer has cloud data centers and points of presence (POPs) located across the globe. All the data is connected and exchanged through high speed fiber and companies are allowed to coordinate the global infrastructure. Thus, data can be easily and quickly updated and exchanged throughout the globe, company globalization becomes easy and efficient.

However, with all the benefits cloud computing provides, there also emerges many disadvantages.

Firstly, because the data may lie in any corner of the world beyond control and reach, there are many security and privacy challenges that need to be understood and taken care. For example, several celebrities’ photos on cloud were disclosed to the internet a while ago. People started to question the security issue of could computing. Also, in business filed, financial reports disclosing can cause a company very huge lost and damages. Therefore, whether using could computing in some parts of business and the degree how it should be used is a significant question to consider.

Secondly, there are possibilities a server might break down, and important information and data that are not backed up will be lost.

Thirdly, there are several feedbacks from cloud computing users that Performance on shared infrastructure can be inconsistent. When working on the shared infrastructure with others, the consistency can be easily impacted by neighbors, and the working process can be disturbed.