Cloud computing has been an essential component for the digital transformation of many businesses for years now. And with the growing popularity of remote work, the demand for cloud services have only grown. They’re very easy to use and can help your teams save time and energy.
What Is a Cloud Computing Platform?
A cloud computing platform allows companies to access their data and run their operations over the internet instead of through hard drives. They are useful for a variety of projects across an array of fields, including data science, machine learning and deep learning. Popular cloud computing platforms include Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud and more.
Cloud computing platforms are crucial for any business trying to top the charts of digital trends and norms. They can also be beneficial to anyone, not just big companies and are useful for any kind of personal or professional projects, whether that’s in data science, deep learning, machine learning, database management and more.
To help you navigate this field, I’ve curated a list of the top five cloud computing platforms along with a short description about what they do. Developing some experience with these cloud computing will help you a lot when applying to tech companies and is a great career investment.
Cloud Computing Platforms to Know
5 Top Cloud Computing Platforms
- Microsoft Azure
- Amazon Web Services
- Google Cloud
- IBM Cloud
- CloudLinux
1. Microsoft Azure
Azure has long been considered one of the best cloud services platforms out there thanks to its comprehensive suite of available services from tech giant Microsoft. The wide array of included services are enough to fulfill the needs of any business in any industry.
With Azure, you can run services on the cloud or you can combine it with any of your existing infrastructures. Azure was released back in 2010 and has proven to be a solid option for companies looking to undergo a digital transformation. They provide a number of resources for users including:
How Much Is It?
Azure is free for 12 months, then users will get charged based on the services they use. There are also 25-plus services that can be used for free after creating an account. This includes: Azure App Service, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure Event Grid and more.
2. Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the most popular cloud computing platforms to build interactive web solutions for your business. It has a vast selection of infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS) offerings, including Elastic Cloud Compute (EC2), Elastic Beanstalk, Simple Storage Service (S3) and Relational Database Service (RDS).
AWS’s infrastructure is highly customizable, making it possible for you to trim down on costs by utilizing only the services you need. Here’s what they have to offer:
How Much Is It?
AWS is free for 12 months, then users get charged based on the services they use. But there are also some services like Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Lambda and Amazon SNS that are always free.
3. Google Cloud
Google Cloud is a reliable, user-friendly, security-oriented cloud computing service from one of today’s biggest tech giants. Although Google Cloud’s selection of services isn’t as vast as Azure’s, it’s still enough to fulfill all your IaaS and PaaS needs. User-friendliness and security are two of its specialties. They provide a variety of resources for users, including:
How Much Is It?
Just like Azure, your first 12 months of service remain free. Plus, Google claims its services are cheaper and more budget-friendly when compared to others. Google gives first time users $300 worth of credit that can be used in their services. There are also 20-plus services that can be used for free after creating an account.
4. IBM Cloud
IBM Cloud is another cloud computing platform that primarily focuses on the following IaaS, software as a service (SaaS) and PaaS. It has one of the more budget-friendly pricing models in the market, plus it’s fully customizable, which can help trim down costs even further. It is super easy to create an account and start using their APIs. It also provides a suite of training resources, including:
How Much Is It?
In first sign up, IBM gives $200 worth of credit that can be used for their services. There are also 40-plus services that can be accessed for free after you create an account.
5. CloudLinux
If you prefer building your own IT infrastructure rather than relying on a third-party provider, CloudLinux is the way to go. It’s not a regular cloud services provider; it’s a cloud platform that allows you to set up your own in-house infrastructure. As its name implies, it’s a Linux-based operating system.
Although working with CloudLinux sets you up with many challenges, it also offers several perks and features, including complete control, flexibility, security and deep customization. Here’s what new users need to get started:
How Much Is It?
CloudLinux offers a free trial for one month. After the trial ends, one license costs $14 per month.
Cloud Computing Platform Advantages
Investing in cloud infrastructure is inevitable for modern businesses. Going cloud is the future of tech, and the cloud services mentioned above will help you achieve your goals.