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Running Head: FLASH AND CLOUD

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Flash And Cloud
Name
Institutional Affiliation

FLASH AND CLOUD

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Flash storage refers to any device that uses flash memory which is an electronic non-volatile
computer storage medium that is electrically reprogrammable. Cloud computing on the other
hand refers to the use of computing hardware and software devices located on a remote machine
and relayed to the end user over the network.
Cloud computing has both positive and negative impact on enterprises. The positive impacts are
as discussed below;
i.

Cost efficiency
Cloud computing has brought about elimination of the investment associated with stand alone software or services. It also reduces the cost associated with licensing as well as
overhead charges like data storage and management
Cloud is relatively cheaper than traditional approaches thus lowering the overall IT
expenses.

ii.

Convenience and continuous availability
Public clouds make services accessible to end users wherever they maybe located . This
makes information accessible and accommodates needs of users in diverse geographical
regions and time zones. This also promotes collaboration since it is easy to access and
modify shared documents and files.
Cloud computing enhances service delivery as most enterprises use multiple servers.

iii.

Backup and Recovery

FLASH AND CLOUD

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Cloud computing simplifies the process of backing up and recovery as these processes
are located on the cloud and not on a physical form. In some cases, the cloud is used as
backup for data located in local computers.

iv.

Environmentally friendly
Cloud uses fewer resources to compute compared to the traditional IT infrastructure thus
saving energy, that is, only the resources that are needed are consumed by the system.

v.

Resilienceand Redundancy
Cloud is built on a robust architecture which provides resilience and redundancy to the
users. It also offers disaster recovery services.

vi.

Scalability and Performance.
Cloud services are only deployed when needed thus the enterprise pays only for the
applications and data storage they need.
This promotes elasticity as the clouds can be scaled down to meet changing IT system
needs.
Cloud systems use distributed designs thus offers a high speed of performance.

vii.

Quick deployment and ease of integration.
Cloud systems require short periods to initialize. Introduction of new users also happens
instantly which eliminates waiting periods. In addition, businesses are allowed to choose
the services that best suits their needs, thus promoting integration.

FLASH AND CLOUD
viii.

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Increased storage capacity
Cloud stores more data compared to personal computers and offers almost unlimited
storage capacity. This saves the enterprise the need for computer hardware upgrades thus
reducing overall IT cost.

ix.

Device diversity and Location Independence
Cloud computing service is accessible by a variety of electronic devices that have access
to internet. An end user can therefore choose which device to use as well as where to use
it from.

x.

A user also requires little time to learn using cloud computing because it is easier to
adapt to.

Despite the positive impact cloud computing has, it has also been associated with some
disadvantages which include:
i.

Security and privacy in the cloud
By using remote cloud computing infrastructure, an enterprise gives away private data
and information which may be used by competitors to harm the business.
The risk of data loss and password leakage may lead to loss of trust by the business
clients.

ii.

Dependence and vendor lock in

FLASH AND CLOUD

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It is difficult to move from one provider to another once the user has begun using that
provider because transfer would mean having to transfer a lot of data which is
cumbersome.

iii.

Technical Difficulties and downtime
All systems are prone to face dysfunctions at times. Since cloud system is dependent on
network connectivity, any problems affecting the network would lead to the failure of the
entire setup. This is more so because it might take some time before the system detects a
server problem and respond to the fault.

iv.

Limited control and flexibility
The users have limited control over the functions of the hardware and software because
the services are run on remote.

v.

Increased Vulnerability
The exposure of cloud based systems to public internet makes it more vulnerable to
malicious users and hackers. Because the systems are interdependent, a compromise in
one machine containing data may lead to leakage of personal and sensitive information.

Despite its negative impact, cloud computing remain...