What Is Cloud Storage?

The servers used for cloud storage are typically hosted by third-party companies who operate large data centers. When you subscribe to a cloud storage service, you lease storage capacity from the cloud storage service. You then have access to the contracted amount of storage space, which you access via the Internet. What you see looks like a single server or hard disk, but it’s really just a virtual server. In reality, your data may be stored across multiple servers, sometimes spanning multiple locations (or even continents!) that then appear to be a single server in your storage dashboard.
Know that true cloud storage is massive. We’re not talking mere gigabytes and terabytes, as you might find on a desktop PC or web server. Instead, a cloud storage service might offer multiple petabytes of storage. The best-known cloud storage service today is probably Amazon.com’s Simple Storage Service (S3). Cloud storage is also offers by many other companies, with services either planned or rumored from IBM, Google, and EMC.

Why Use Cloud Storage?

Why is cloud storage such a big deal—especially to large companies? There are three primary benefits to cloud storage:

  • Scalability. When you rent cloud storage space, you can opt to use as much or as little space as you need. It’s easy to “flip and switch” and increase your storage space if you suddenly have larger storage needs. You don’t have to buy the additional computers required to house the extra data, but rather can use more of the space available in he cloud (and feel free to use as much space as you need).
  • Reliability. If you’ve ever had your company’s server go down, you know how important it is to have access to backup data. Well, cloud storage can be used as giant online backup drive. Even if you rely on cloud services for your primary data storage, you still have the peace of mind that comes from knowing your data is duplicated on multiple servers.
  • Lower costs. How much do you pay per terabyte of storage? Even with hard disk prices coming down, it’s still cheaper to use the virtual servers in the cloud. Cloud storage services can offer lower storage rates because they more efficiently use the server space they have; space gets reassigned to users almost instantly, on an as-needed basis. It’s a lot cheaper to use excess space in the cloud than it is to purchase a new server or hard disk drive