The advancements happening in the realm of cloud computing have been moving at a maddening pace, so much so that everything from software, applications and operating system to products and services are beginning to make their way into the industry.
That being the case, more and more businesses have started migrating to cloud computing services and are investing billions of dollars in the same.
If you have been planning to join the bandwagon but are confused as to which service would be a perfect match for your business, then keep reading this article!
Here we will be talking about some of the most sought-after cloud computing providers, the services offered by them, and their amazing set of benefits. But before that, let’s understand the concept of cloud computing and how it helps your business.
So, What Is Cloud Computing?
Web-Based computing, at its core, cloud computing is a service that enables individuals and businesses to cram in a variety of resources which mainly includes storage, databases, events, processing, messaging, services, virtual machines, and memory. Also, these services keep updating often based on the previous one.
When compared to conventional computing services, these do not charge you when the resources are not being used.
Now that we’ve got a fair understanding of what it is let’s take a look at the computing services that will be the talk of the town in 2020.
At a glance - here is the list of best cloud computing services that we’ll be talking about:
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Google Cloud
- Microsoft Azure
- Oracle Cloud
- IBM Cloud
- Alibaba Cloud
- DigitalOcean
- Rackspace Managed Cloud
- Verizon Cloud
- Salesforce
- Kamatera
Top Cloud Computing Services List
#1 Amazon Web Services
Established in the year 2006, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the most popular cloud computing programs. It is a service that allows organizations and individuals to craft business-related solutions by making use of integrated web services.
The AWS offers you an array of PaaS and IaaS solutions which comprises of Relational Database Service (RDS), Elastic Cloud Compute (EC2), Simple Storage Service (S3) and Elastic Beanstalk.
Additionally, you are even provided with administrative benefits meaning you get complete access to a myriad of features such as auditing and encryption key generation.
Source: Pinterest
When it comes to availing of the services of these cloud computing programs, the cost is usually the topmost concern. However, with AWS at your disposal, you won’t have to worry about emptying your pockets since the costs that you’ll incur would be well within your budget.
What’s more, Amazon Web Services offers you a 12-month free trial period, but once that ends you’ll be asked to pay for the selected plan or you could simply end your subscription.
If you plan to pay for it, then you can do that using either of their pricing models!
Some of the benefits offered by AWS include:
- Hassle-free sign-up
- Swift deployment
- Centralized management
- Billing on per hour basis
- Unlimited access to storage
#2 Google Cloud Platform
A cloud computing service offered by Google, Google Cloud Platform lets its users to develop business-related solutions with the help of its modular web services. And similar to AWS, even Google Cloud provides you with a wide range of resources such as PaaS and IaaS services.
However, the best aspect of the Google Cloud Platform is its multi-layered infrastructure, created by a team of professional engineers, which offers complete protection to whatever you create or store.
Well, Google Cloud is also equipped with an array of equipment such as Big Query, App Engine, Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, and Container Engine. And these are the tools that help you ensure steady performance. With Google, it is easier for you to make the transition to flexible pricing and virtual machines.
When signing-up for Google Cloud Platform you are offered a free trial for a period of 12 months, but it does involve a small fee of $300 for the products and services provided by them. You can also host your google search engine app on the cloud.
Some of the benefits offered by Google Cloud include:
- Full access to cloud-based services
- Flexible technology
- Access to data analytics and AI
- No requirement for expensive server installments
Source: Edureka
#3 Microsoft Azure
When compared to other computing services, the growth rate of Microsoft Azure has been a lot faster. Although released years after the launch of Google Cloud Platform and Amazon Web Services, it has been a serious contender in the race of achieving the #1 position in the list of top cloud computing services.
Also, in the recent past, Microsoft Cloud Services received a huge contract from the US government worth $10 billion.
While it is a little difficult to foresee the profits of Microsoft Azure in its entirety, they have divided their last quarter’s revenue into 3 categories and they are Personal Computing, Productivity and Business Processes, and Intelligent Cloud. The individual profits made by these were $11.3 billion, $11.0 billion, and $11.4 billion.
It is also expected that the profit of Microsoft Azure would go up to $33 to $35 billion, which will make it the most lucrative cloud computing service across the globe!
Source: Statista
Now, it’s not just the revenue that makes Azure an intelligent and attractive service, but also the number of advanced products like Power BI and Sharepoint offered by it.
Some of the benefits offered by Microsoft Cloud Services include:
- Flexible and cost-effective technology
- Access to resources and tools for consistent performance
- Effective business-related solutions
#4 Oracle Cloud
Offered by Oracle Corporation, the Oracle cloud computing service provides its users with DaaS (Data as a Service), IaaS, SaaS and PaaS solutions.
It is a platform packed with powerful features and has the capability of supporting an array of workloads. This usually includes microservices, IoT, OLTP, and other applications that are dependent on machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Oracle Cloud platform also offers two provisions: Storage Data and Cloud Architecture. While the storage data is mainly to carry out business analytics, cloud architecture comprises applications, data management, and databases.
Oracle’s cloud platform does have an array of potential. But, it is specifically developed to meet the needs of an enterprise instead of an individual or small-scale business.
If you plan to sign-up for Oracle Cloud know that, along with a free trial period of 30 days, it also gives you limitless access to two of its best databases. And this often comes with Oracle SQL and Oracle Application Express (APEX).
Some of the benefits offered by Oracle Cloud include:
- Protection against cyber attacks
- Next-generation data management tools
- Access to unsanctioned applications
- Modern technologies like machine learning, AI, and chatbots
#5 IBM Cloud
Another amazing cloud platform, IBM Cloud was launched by IBM in the year 2011 and just like others, even they provide solutions like Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (Saas) to their users.
Apart from these, it also offers non-cloud-based services like hardware and virtual-based servers which are made of management, private and public networks. Since these virtual and hardware-based servers are put together in one cloud computing platform, you get full access to the infrastructure.
Source: Veeam Software
With this server at your disposal, you also get to improve your business’s performance.
This cloud platform is handled with the help of a single system, meaning you can control it through mobile apps, web portal or even an Application Programming Interface (API).
Some benefits offered by IBM Cloud include:
- Excellent cloud performance
- Increases value of your business
#6 Alibaba Cloud
Started in the year 2009, Alibaba Cloud is headquartered and registered in Singapore and is one of the biggest cloud service providers in China.
Initially, it was designed to be used only for Alibaba’s e-commerce community, but now it is being offered to everyone. This cloud computing service can now be availed in 19 other regions as well.
Source: Alibaba Cloud
What’s more, the annual revenue of Alibaba Cloud is around $4.5 million and it offers a variety of services such as the Internet of Things, Data and Analytics Technology, Monitoring and Management, Cloud Communication, Websites and Domains, Database Services, Elastic Computing, and Media Services.
Some of the benefits offered by Alibaba Cloud include:
- Swift results
- Backup and protection for data
- A manifold of management tools
- Ample of data storage
- Complete management permission
#7 DigitalOcean
Headquartered in New York, DigitalOcean is a cloud service provider that helps businesses to scale various apps running on multiple computers at the same time. This cloud computing platform offers its users services like monitoring capabilities, security, and add-on storage facilities.
Some benefits offered by DigitalOcean include:
- Offers performance as well as standard plans
- Flat pricing and reliable connections
- Deployment of the standard distribution, one-click app, and custom image
#8 Rackspace Managed Cloud
An incredible cloud computing service, Rackspace managed cloud gives you the liberty to select a provider as per your choice. It lets you communicate with them through their platform.
This is one such service that works in association with other providers like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.
By using this system, you not only have access to some of the best cloud computing services but also get to experiment with different products whilst enjoying the assistance of third-party providers.
Some of the benefits offered by Rackspace Managed Cloud include:
- Rapid transition to the cloud
- Usage-based billing
- Offers hard and solid-state drives
#9 Verizon Cloud
This cloud platform gives you complete access to the infrastructure along with some advanced customization and set-up options. It also helps you to eliminate the risk and maintain the integrity of data across several apps.
Some of the benefits offered by Verizon Cloud include:
- Consistent performance
- Flexible services
#10 Salesforce Cloud
Salesforce cloud platform provides you with several services, which includes Marketing Cloud, Sales Cloud, and Service Cloud. This is a cloud service that also helps you push your business’s production.
Some of the benefits offered by Salesforce include:
- 24x7 customer support
- Manages the contact information of your customers
- Automates business process
#11 Kamatera
This cloud computing service is pretty much similar to those of physical servers. It has a virtual infrastructure which makes it a cost-effective and flexible option for every business. Also, it follows the ‘pay as you use’ pricing model, which is a common one in the market.
Which Cloud Service Is The Best?
In the year 2019, Amazon Web Services was at the top of the list – all credits to its performance. But, Microsoft Azure, while slowly climbing up the ladder, managed to achieve the second rank by pushing Google to the third position. The race is then followed by Oracle and Alibaba.
Final Verdict
If you take a closer look, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure have been neck-to-neck in the contest of making it to the top since both of them offer products and services that are pretty similar.
Other cloud computing services like IBM and Google are improving every other day and aren’t far behind.
If you would ask us to choose one of the cloud platforms, we would either go with Amazon Web Services or Azure. The reason is quite predictable – both the firms are leading the way and nothing could go wrong with any of them!
But if you’re looking for a specific set of services and tools, then you see what other providers have got to offer. For instance, IBM Watson is available only in the cloud service offered by IBM.
The Bottom Line
Based on the features that you are looking for, you can go with any of the above-mentioned cloud computing services. In fact, you can even make use of multiple platforms.
For example, you can use Google Cloud for emails and documents, Microsoft Azure for developer tools, DevOps and database, and Amazon Web Services for messaging and file storage.
They say ‘one-size-fits-all’ but that is not necessarily true in every case. So, figure out your needs and requirements, and then select a cloud computing service that matches your business!
