Common Myths About Cloud Hosting Busted

The question of ‘if’ a company should move to cloud hosting services has been replaced by ‘when’ they will. Cloud hosting has rapidly gained a lot of popularity over time. The promise of reliability and security, along with low costs has given the cloud industry a major leverage. In fact, a report published by Gartner says that, in 2016 alone, the cloud industry saw an increase of 16.5% in revenue, which totals to nearly $204 billion (Gartner, 2016).

That being said, even though cloud has become very popular, there are still many myths and misconceptions that tend to steer a lot of companies in the wrong direction. When companies consider moving their data to the cloud, the most common question asked is, ‘is the cloud secure?’. While reasonable, as security is always a priority for every company, most of these doubts and concerns stem from unreasonable misconceptions. Hence, to demystify these concerns, here are the most common myths about cloud hosting debunked:

Myth 1: You don't know what it is

‘Don’t know, won’t use’ is probably the motto for most company owners. Especially when they are small-scale as the risks are high. Hence, many companies refrain from using cloud services as they claim to not know what it is. However, this is far from the fact. If you own a business, you are probably already using the cloud! Cloud technology is simple remote access computing, with all the required hardware and software stored in one location. So, if you are using Google or online banking, you are already using the cloud!

Myth 2: Security is compromised

Probably one of the biggest concerns for any company, it is popularly believed that cloud servers are easier to hack. But, what most the owners don't know is that, no matter where the location, two simpler types of servers have the same level of potential vulnerability risk. So, cloud hosting security doesn't depend on the location, but the tools and methods used to protect it. Hence, if you choose to manage and maintain a private cloud, not only will it be more expensive, but you will also require more resources to maintain its security. On the other hand, most external cloud hosting providers have security expertise and are capable of preventing most security breaches.

Myth 3: They contribute to global warming

It is true that high level of assembled datacenters and the widespread of cloud computing has resulted in more power consumption and an increase in carbon dioxide production that causes global warming. However, modern datacenters are far more energy efficient that their predecessors. Not only do they use advanced and natural air cooling systems, but also employ step-down voltage lines closer to the servers. Hence, modern datacenters limit the use of electricity, thus effectively reducing the cause of global warming.

Most cloud computing myths are a result of miscommunication and lack of knowledge. Moreover, many companies believe in the ‘one-size-cloud-fits-all’ norm. However, there are actually many different types of customised packages that cloud datacenters provide, based on your requirement and cloud hosting security needs. So, businesses should gain a clear understanding on the functioning of cloud and choose a service provider that helps give them best results!