Introduction to History of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing has now become an ideal way to deliver solutions and enterprise applications for different businesses across the globe. The History of Cloud Computing started in the early 1960s. During this period the concepts of time-sharing took a rise via Remote Job Entry. This terminology was associated with IBM and DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation). Due to this growth, full time-sharing systems were available by the early 1970s. By the 1990’s, few telecommunication giants started offering VPN (Virtual private network) services at affordable costs. As they could do by switching traffic with proper server use, it made them use the overall network more effectively. By 1994, the cloud metaphor was started to be used for virtualized services.
Who Invented Cloud Computing?
Cloud Computing was invented in the early 1960s by J.C.R Licklider (Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider), an American Psychologist and Computer Scientist. During his network research work on ARPANet (Advanced Research Project Agency Network), trying to connect people and data all around the world, gave an introduction to Cloud Computing technique which we all know today. Born on March 11th, 1915 in St. Louis, Missouri, US, J.C.R Licklider pursued his initial studies from Washington University in 1937 and received a BA Degree with three specializations including physics, maths, psychology. Later in the year 1938, Licklider completed his MA in psychology and received his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester in the year 1942. His interest in Information Technology and looking at his years of service in different areas and achievements, made his appointed as Head of IPTO at ARPA (US Department of Defense Advanced Research Project Agency) in the Year 1962. His aim led to ARPANet, a forerunner of today’s Internet.
The beauty of the cloud computing phase went on running throughout the era of the 21st Century. By mid-2000s probably 2006 Amazon created AWS (Amazon web services) and also noted its Elastic Computing Cloud (EC2). By 2008, Google too introduced its beta version of the search engine. Earlier announced by Microsoft in the year 2008, it released its cloud computing service named Microsoft Azure for testing, deployment and managing applications and services. In the year 2012, Google compute engine was released but was rolled to the public by the end of Dec 2013. Oracle introduced Oracle Cloud with three primary services for business (IaaS, PaaS and SaaS). Currently, as per records, Linux and Microsoft Azure share most of their work parallel.
Why Cloud Computing was Invented?
The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency in the year 1963, funded $2 million for a project which included developing a technology that allows a computer to be used by two or more persons simultaneously. Here giant computers were used, where reels of magnetic tape for memory and a forerunner, currently named “cloud computing” were taken into consideration. It acted as a cloud giving access to max 3 peoples to connect. In the vision of expansion, J.C.R Licklider in the year 1969, developed the ARPANet (known as the primitive version of the internet). He advanced his vision named Intergalactic Computer Network, in which anyone on the globe can be interconnected by means of computers and also access the information from anywhere and anytime. The term coined virtualization in the year 1970s made a shift, which now describes the creation of a virtual machine that acts like a fully functional real computer system. The most use of virtual computers in the 1990’s and business offering virtual service led to the development of cloud computing infrastructure.
Advantages Behind Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing has gained wide popularity in the last few years. With the increase in data security and storing vital information, Cloud has gained its place for business requirements. Cloud works as the same phenomenon as web-based email services for storing the data in bulk and accessing it at any corner around the world. Some of the few cloud-based applications are Facebook, Instagram and Google Cloud, etc. Such an application provides cloud-hosted servers where the user personal data are been stored for later access.
Below are listed a few advantages of Cloud Computing in businesses:
- Implementing a Cloud-based server or being on the cloud makes you cost-effective as it will easier to access organization data and information which saves time and investment in the early phase. Moreover, the cloud has facilities for storage area too, which means pay only for the storage you have installed. Revenue growth also increases investing in cloud applications.
- Security Concern is a big issue when it comes to onsite viewing and storage of files and documents. As its cybercrime doing the same thing for remotely accessing data. A Security Operations Center (SOC) plays a critical role in continuously monitoring, detecting, and responding to such security threats in cloud environments. The Key to enhance security is one by encrypting the data that is being transmitted over networks. Moreover, different security features are available to the users too.
- Rather than hosting an application in Local Server, Cloud gives a lot of flexibility on hosting on its platform. It increases the overall efficiency of the organization.
- Cloud computing provides greater mobility and connectivity to connect with people and information. It allows to access data from anywhere, anyplace and anytime.
- Clouds based applications update and upgrade their software versions without being manually functioned.
- Cloud storage helps in loss prevention from data. If any valuable data is stored in local hardware and due to any viral infections, malware or malfunctions the data gets corrupted. To prevent loss, it’s better to dump all data in the cloud which gives better flexibility and access anytime.
Conclusion
Cloud computing offers alternatives to IT departments for improved flexibility and lower cost. Cloud Computing profits in market demands by improving resource utilization and providing tremendous benefits to customers of all sizes. It promises increased reliability and scalability. Despite the potential gains, few companies are still having a concern in accepting it due to some application security issues which may hamper the cloud in the long run. As per the ongoing research and development activities, cloud computing holds the potential to stand out at the top but with a few challenges to come alongside which it should take care of for its future growth.
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