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List of the Top Cloud Computing Service Provider Companies

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What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud Computing has rapidly gained popularity and is anticipated to grow exponentially. Cloud computing definition refers to creating a block of hardware and software connected via the Internet. It eliminated the necessity of a physical computer or server on the business premises. Cloud service providers empower their clients to access cloud services by hosting software, platforms, and databases remotely. Moreover, cloud service providers take complete responsibility for any complications and technical faults that may arise. Some of the most popular cloud computing examples are Dropbox, Gmail, HubSpot, Google Drive, etc.

What Are the Benefits of Cloud Computing?

The following is a list of chief advantages of cloud computing within a business:

1. Cost Efficiency:
Introducing cloud computing aids businesses in reducing their overall cost by a substantial amount. Cloud computing solutions eliminate the dependency on dense masses of databases that gathers company and client information. Besides, clients do not need to invest in hardware, infrastructural facilities, utilities, etc. The pay-as-you-go system enables companies to expand cloud computing services as required.
2. Security:
Investing in cloud computing is an extremely effective way to handle data security. Cloud computing security helps tackle cyber crimes such as data breaches, unauthorized entry, etc. Cloud service providers also offer protection for their platforms by implementing authentication, access control, and data encryption. Moreover, cloud computing security measures only allow authorized personnel within businesses to remotely access the data.
3. Scalability:
Cloud computing companies offer their clients much-needed flexibility within the business processes. The top cloud computing companies enable scaling of the IT departments according to business requirements. Furthermore, since firms do not need to invest in infrastructure or even staff, they can easily modify their solutions to best suit their goals. 
4. Disaster Recovery:
One of the most significant advantages offered by cloud companies is that data on the cloud is always available, irrespective of the condition of the device. Cloud computing services also safeguard data in case of natural calamity, allowing users to recover it when needed. In the case of a data breach or system failure, businesses can easily retrieve the data. 
5. Increased Collaboration:
Cloud-based solutions allow different teams of a company to collaborate with each other efficiently. The members of the group can view and partage information flawlessly and securely across the cloud-based platform. Some of the top cloud computing companies additionally offer collaborative spaces for employees to connect quickly, irrespective of their location, hence increasing engagement.

What Are the Different Types of Cloud Computing Services?

There are mainly three Cloud computing services models:

  • IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
  • PaaS (Platform as a Service)
  • SaaS (Software as a Service)

Each of these service models delivers a wide range of benefits. However, it is imperative to understand the difference between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS before investing. Following is the differentiation between these services.

1.Software as a Service (SaaS):

Software as a Service (SaaS) empowers clients to lease or subscribe to software applications and access them online instead of purchasing, installing, and handling them. Currently, SaaS represents a significant market due to the fundamental business technologies offered like email, HRM, CRM, Sales and financial management, Billing, etc. Some of the leading cloud computing examples of SaaS providers are Oracle, Salesforce, Microsoft, Intuit, etc.

Benefits of SaaS:

  • It eliminates the excessive time spent in the installation and configuration of software, as most SaaS applications can be assessed directly from a web browser.
  • It offers a pay-per-use service; therefore, it is more cost-efficient than other services.
  • It is extremely flexible as it allows subscribers to change their usage plan as per their requirements.
  • It enables users to operate the software from any location.

2. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS):

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a highly scalable and automated computing solution, provisioned, and operated over the Internet. IaaS enables businesses to procure resources as required and on demand instead of buying hardware out and out. It offers cloud servers to the organization via either a dashboard or an API, which provides the clients with complete control over the infrastructure. However, contrary to SaaS and PaaS, IaaS clients are accountable for dealing with the applications, runtime, OSes, middleware, and data of the system.

Benefits of IaaS:

  • It is considered the most flexible cloud computing model, allowing clients to scale the services as needed.
  • IaaS is easier to automate the deployment of services.
  • It is extremely affordable and cost-effective.
  • Clients maintain complete control over the infrastructure.

3.Platform as a Service (PaaS):

Platform as a Service (PaaS) offers its clients a platform and environment to build applications and services. It delivers a framework for app developers to aid in creating a customized app. The PaaS service providers manage various infrastructural aspects such as networks, operating systems, servers, storage, etc.

Benefits of PaaS:

  • It enables rapid prototyping due to the prebuilt backend infrastructure.
  • PaaS services are continuously updated with the newest features added regularly.
  • It reduces the amount of coding, lowering the burden on developers.
  • It streamlines the integration of web services and databases.

What is the Difference Between Public vs. Private vs. Hybrid Cloud?

There are three ways to deploy cloud computing services viz. Public Cloud, Private Cloud, and Hybrid Cloud:

1.Public Cloud:

The public cloud is one of the most common ways of deploying cloud computing services. In this model, IT services are delivered over the Internet and can be used by multiple clients. These services are charged based on the resources consumed, which can either be on a subscription basis, free, or freemium. The functionality may range from solutions such as storage, emails, applications, OS platform, etc.

Cloud companies recommend public cloud solutions ideally for predictable computing needs. It also deploys apps and solutions required for performing IT and business operations as well as software development and test environments.

Advantages of Public Cloud:

  • No investments are requisite for deploying and maintaining the IT infrastructure.
  • It offers high scalability and flexibility.
  • It reduces IT complexities.
  • It has flexible pricing and payment options.

2.Private Cloud:

Private cloud solutions are designed for a specific business or organization. Only the members of the company may access the cloud services and the data stored in it. The data center resources can either be managed by autonomous vendors off-site or located on-premise. A private cloud is easily scalable, which is a requisite when dealing with the unique business and security concerns of the organization. 

A private cloud is most suited for highly-regulated industries such as government agencies. These companies require firm control, as well as high security and performance over their processes, and must opt for a private cloud.

Advantages of Private Cloud:

  • Offer dedicated and secure environments that cannot be operated by other organizations.
  • Highly scalable to comply with unpredictable business demands.
  • Excellent SLA performance.

3.Hybrid Cloud: 

The hybrid cloud is an efficient combination of private and public cloud systems. The resources are typically organized as an integrated environment. The cloud solutions offered are segregated over multiple public and private data centers, which makes hybrid cloud services significantly more reliable. 

Companies that have a variety of regulatory, IT security, and performance requirements must invest in the hybrid cloud. Businesses looking for alternatives to improving the security or scalability of their existing cloud computing solutions may also opt for this technology. 

Advantages of Hybrid Cloud:

  • Due to it being the combination of public and private cloud, companies can quickly scale the services as per their requirements.
  • Extremely reliable due to the services being spread across multiple private and public data centers.

Which Are the Significant Cloud Computing Challenges Faced by Businesses Today?

Before hiring a cloud computing service provider, businesses may have numerous concerns such as security and compliance issues, reliability, performance, etc. However, the following are the most prominent challenges encountered by the client firms:

1. Handling Multi-Cloud Solutions

At times, organizations employ a combination of different private and public cloud-based services. These multi-cloud environments can cause complications for the IT team.

To defeat this challenge, businesses must adopt best practices such as thorough research of the products, training employees, actively maintaining vendor relationships, etc. 

2. Vendor Lock-In:

While hiring cloud service companies, businesses need to form an agreement. However, if the experience with the service provider does not meet the client’s expectations, it can be difficult to terminate the partnership. This is called Vendor lock-in. 

Clients must be careful while signing a deal. Consider how complicated or easy it is to move the workload from the existing service provider to a new partner if required.

3. Integration:

Several organizations face complications while introducing new cloud solutions in their business. The main problem could be transferring the existing data into the cloud. Moreover, integrating legal systems and new applications requires time, relevant skills, and resources.

To tackle this situation, businesses must analyze all the viable options available before selecting a cloud-based solution. Besides, cloud service companies also play a huge part in resolving these concerns hence, hire a firm that not only understands your requirements but also suggests the best path to implement the solution.

What Is the Future of Cloud Computing?

The following are some of the popular trends in cloud computing technology:

1. Increased Storage Capacity:

Companies are accumulating data in a high volume which makes it difficult to store. So, they are exploring options to securely store their data; with most of them switching from on-premise data storage solutions to cloud computing technologies.

One of the major facets of the future of cloud computing is the demand for increased storage capacity and how cloud companies plan on meeting them. Cloud computing companies need to provide more data centers at a reduced price to accommodate all the data. It is predicted that in the coming years, the data center storage capacity will expand exponentially.

2. Omni-Cloud Solutions:

With the increasing demand for cloud solutions, businesses are partnering with more than a single cloud provider. They may require multiple cloud vendors to assist with future problems. This technique is known as Omni-Cloud solutions in which an organization employs multiple cloud providers to avoid being locked into one solution.

With the assistance of more than one cloud company, businesses have opportunities to satisfy the demands of their clients in a more proficient manner. Currently, agencies are using hybrid or multi-cloud solutions, whereas, in the future, Omni-Cloud technology will provide them access to a wider range of options.

3. Enhanced Security:

There are numerous security threats such as data theft, data breach, unauthorized access, etc. while dealing with cloud computing technology. However, the possibility of dealing with legal actions and monetary penalties ensures that the cloud vendors offer excessive care in managing client data. Moreover, new data regulations, like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), prevent cloud companies from carelessly handling consumer data collection and storage processes.

With the growing demand for cloud solutions, the need for enforcing cloud computing security is increasing. Cloud security deals with network security, physical security, data/communication encryption, etc. Cloud providers are working towards building the strongest possible cybersecurity solutions for their clients.

4. Serverless:

A serverless architecture eliminates the barriers resulted due to a standard IT infrastructure. The serverless paradigm offers more dynamic, intuitive, powerful, and robust cloud computing solutions. It further reduces the capital expenditure of the organization, since serverless architectures are not prone to breakdown or depreciation.

Some of the major companies such as Amazon AWS have implemented a serverless paradigm which also manages the allocation of varied resources. Some businesses that maintain their servers deploy their code to Amazon AWS’ serverless platform. 

Which Are the Determining Factors While Shortlisting Cloud Service Providers?

The availability of numerous cloud service companies makes it difficult for service seekers to select the ideal partner. However, to eliminate this problem, GoodFirms has curated the above-mentioned cloud computing service providers list. Moreover, client companies must scrutinize the probable partners based on the following criteria.

1. Certifications:
Select a cloud company that complies with the market standard and follows the government's Cyber Essentials Scheme. Check out whether they have cloud computing certifications such as ISO 27001 or not.
2. Cost:
Migrating to cloud computing services can be expensive. Opt for a service provider that offers required cloud computing solutions and infrastructures within your budget. You may, however, need to be flexible regarding the pricing models to benefit the most from the services offered by the cloud partner.
3. Security:
Inquire the cloud service companies regarding their security protocols in order to safeguard your data. Verify the procedure they follow in case of a data breach or other threats. Besides, check their data recovery strategies during disasters. Also, ask them about the location of the servers when planning to upload vast volumes of data.
4. Reliability:
Ensure that the shortlisted cloud service companies have previously provided similar solutions. This offers businesses an insight into the functioning of the company, along with their expertise in that particular field. You can also ask for past client references or check out independent review and rating platforms, such as GoodFirms, to analyze their efficiency.
5. Support:
The task of a cloud computing service provider is not over after deployment. They must offer maintenance during any glitch or product failure. Opt for a cloud computing company that is available for 24/7 support.

GoodFirms Research Process to Rank Best Cloud Computing Companies:

GoodFirms studied the top cloud computing companies based on three critical evaluation criteria, namely, Quality, Reliability, and Ability, which assist service seekers in considering and selecting the right partner for their business. The expert researchers at GoodFirms have analyzed the quality offered by the above-mentioned cloud computing service providers list. The list is curated only after the thorough analysis of each participating cloud company on their portfolio, ability to capture the industry, market experience, scalability, and the performance of the cloud solution. These cloud service providers are also judged on the basis of the reviews offered by their past clients. Some of the above-mentioned agencies are also exploring the future of cloud computing to provide the best services to their clients.

GoodFirms is always seeking out new as well as established cloud-based firms to expand this list. Hence, we would like to invite cloud service providers to participate and get listed in our Research section by providing testimonials of their work.