Learn more at CloudUniversity: www.cloudservices.education Maybe you heard that the cloud is a new technology that magically fixes business problems. And maybe you’re thinking, “But really...what is it?” That’s a fair question, as countless definitions of cloud computing appear every day. Let us clear up some of the confusion by revealing five mysteries of the cloud.

1. 5Mysteries
of the
Cloud
Revealed

2. Let us clear up some of the confusion
by revealing five mysteries of the cloud.
Maybe you heard that the cloud is a new technology
that magically fixes business problems. And maybe
you’re thinking, “But really...what is it?” That’s a fair
question, as countless definitions of cloud computing
appear every day.

3. 1Where is
my data,
really?

4. A common misconception is that
with cloud computing, your data is
magically floating around, making
it accessible to you whenever you
need it.

5. While the accessibility part is true,
the magical part...not so much.

6. The name “cloud” implies that your
information is being stored somewhere
in the sky above, but the truth is, it’s
still physically located in hardware,
within data centers.

7. Data is stored in an off-site location managed and
maintained by a third-party provider
A business simply uses the Internet to access its
data and computing resources
While it’s not as easy as picking your data out of the
air, this saves a lot of time, money and space while
creating constant access to data and software

8. 2Is my data
safe?

9. There is constant talk that
businesses should not trust their
data in the cloud, but as it has
matured, the answer to this
question is most often, “Yes.”

10. You will most likely experience
better security with a cloud
provider than you’d be able to
provide yourself with.

11. A provider has fully trained staff
on-hand for the sole purpose of
securing client information.

12. A cloud provider is expert in security, disaster
recovery and data protection
Cloud providers work extremely hard to over-
perform in terms of security, due to the constant
scrutiny they experience
Providers have strict security measures, while in
on-site situations, the staff might not be monitored
very often

13. 3Can I
control
my data?

14. Data control really depends on
the cloud provider you work
with.

15. You have to determine from
the get-go what administrative
rights you have when you move
your data.

16. Will you truly lose control over
your data? With a great cloud
provider, the answer is, “No.”

17. Only users with authorized access can go in and
change your data
Sensitive data is encrypted in flight and at rest,
ensuring that it’s always protected, and the data
center features both physical and network security
Use a Control Panel that gives you access to
determine authorized control for other users, and
manage and assign computing resources

18. 4Is the
cloud really
cheaper?

19. If you are working with a provider
that properly manages the cloud
environment and scales it based
on demand, chances are you will
save money.

20. Technology is evolving so quickly
that equipment becomes outdated
almost immediately. Think about
those costs over a five-year
period. It’s overwhelming.

21. The cloud has matured enough
that it can offer the best of both
worlds: budget efficiency and
high-quality computing
resources.

22. Save on hardware, maintenance, support, power,
cooling, security and other costs
On-site hardware is underutilized more often than
not - cloud helps you avoid consuming resources
and space you’re not using
Use a pay-as-you-go method to ensure you receive
the up-to-date resources you need, when you need
them, avoiding waste and overspending

23. 5What does
the weather
have to do
with it?

24. This question might not be as
technical as those above, but it’s
a valid one.

25. Many people still think that
cloud computing has something
to do with the weather. Some are
even concerned that a rainy day
will affect their data.

26. Fortunately for everyone, this is
not true.

27. The name “cloud computing” simply came from the
symbol that was often used to represent the
Internet visually
Of course, this symbol was a cloud
This metaphor for the Internet became popular as
the futures of business and Internet quickly
converged

28. When the mystery is cleared away,
cloud computing is the obvious choice.
There are plenty of people that still don’t understand
what the cloud is - many fail to realize that they
probably use the technology on a daily basis.
Things like online banking and shopping, social media,
gaming, photo sharing and even email involved cloud
computing - and that just goes to show how
convenient and easy to use it is.