Introduction
It has only been about 20 years since the term “cloud” became widely recognized. With the present wave of digital innovation, cloud computing is becoming more and more in demand at a rate never seen before.
The way businesses exchange, store, and retrieve data has undergone significant changes as a result of this boom. Cloud computing provides increased security, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and enhanced collaborative capabilities in addition to facilitating a range of tasks over the internet. As a result, there has been a discernible increase in the need for cloud computing companies. According to statistics, the cloud houses 60% of all corporate data worldwide. Furthermore, a multi-cloud infrastructure has been embraced by 90% of large organizations.
Over the past two decades, a lot more cloud service providers have entered the market and more are constantly joining it. As we step into 2024, the importance of choosing the right cloud provider has a direct impact on the quality of services obtained.
Choosing the Right Cloud Provider
Your digital operations’ effectiveness and efficiency are directly impacted by the cloud provider you choose. This is why when choosing a provider, you should consider the following key factors:
- Business needs and services: Understanding your business’s needs clearly is essential before navigating the huge variety of cloud service providers. Determine your unique objectives, whether they have to do with developing applications, storing data, or using other cloud-based services. Afterwards, you need to make sure the provider offers the same services you need.
- Cost Structure: Verify that the pricing is competitive and comprehensively understand the terms and conditions associated with the service.
- Customer Support and reliability: For problems to be resolved quickly, dependable customer service is necessary. Examine the provider’s reliability history as well, taking note of things like disaster recovery capability and downtime histories.
- Innovation and Future Readiness: Examine the provider’s dedication to innovation and keeping up with the latest developments in technology. A progressive supplier is more likely to supply state-of-the-art solutions and adjust to new technology, guaranteeing the longevity of your investment.
- Reviews and Reputation: Lastly, look at user feedback and the cloud provider’s standing in the sector. You may make an informed choice by using the viewpoints that current users have to provide on their real experiences using the provider’s services.
Top 10 cloud based platforms
All that being said, proceeding with the providers which are known for both their extensive infrastructure and the wide range of services they provide. With their unique strengths, each cloud provider on our list—from global industry giants to upstarts making big moves in particular areas—contributes to the digital transformation of organizations all over the world. Let’s examine the distinctive features and innovations that put these companies at the forefront of the cloud computing space.
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Since its launch in 2006, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has dominated the cloud computing industry by providing a wide range of services, such as machine learning, computing power, storage, and more. This provider stands about with market share reaching 30%, nevertheless with 102 availability zones spread over more than 20 geographic regions and service in 245 countries. The primary advantage of using AWS is that they are constantly looking to innovate, as seen by the introduction of services like AWS Wavelength for applications requiring extremely low latency and AWS Outposts for on-premises computing. However, over the last few years, Microsoft Azure has gained a significant portion of that market share, somewhat diminishing it.
Microsoft Azure
Second place so far is for Microsoft Azure. Businesses that already use Microsoft products choose Microsoft Azure because of its smooth integration into the Microsoft ecosystem. Azure provides a wide range of services, including blockchain, AI, and virtual machines. Microsoft Azure, which was released fifteen years ago, made security and compliance a priority.
Additionally, running your workloads and apps in both on-premises and cloud infrastructures is a great option. Microsoft’s dedication to hybrid solutions is evident in recent releases such as Azure Arc for resource management across multi-cloud, edge, and on-premises settings.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Moving on to Google Cloud Platform, which has become recognized for its proficiency in machine learning and data analytics, Transitioning to Google Cloud Platform, recognized for its expertise in data analytics and machine learning, GCP remains a compelling choice for businesses seeking advanced functionalities. Particularly distinguished for its contributions to AI and data processing, GCP showcases its prowess through flagship technologies like BigQuery and TensorFlow. As of Q4 2021, Google Cloud commands a 9% market share globally, up until this day the market share of GCP has grown with 1%.
Furthermore, recent data reveals a noteworthy upswing in revenue growth, reaching up to 45% in the preceding years. With some fluctuations, the platform’s market share has consistently increased since its launch in 2008.
IBM Cloud
IBM Cloud focuses on hybrid cloud solutions, catering to enterprises with complex infrastructure needs. It places a strong emphasis on security and compliance, making it an attractive option for industries with strict regulatory requirements. Additionally, IBM Cloud provides services tailored to particular sectors, like manufacturing, financial services, and healthcare.
Furthermore, IBM is positioned as a pioneer in cutting-edge technologies because to its advancements in AI and quantum computing, which are demonstrated by initiatives like IBM Quantum System One.
The fact that IBM plans to raise the price of its cloud services by up to 26% starting in January 2024 is a drawback. Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and platform-as-a-service (PaaS) solutions will be impacted by the new price increase, the business stated in a GitHub post. Customers from other countries will experience a more substantial price increase than those in the US.
Oracle Cloud
OCI was introduced in 2016 and is one of the more recent clouds. It’s packed with capabilities and a cloud platform that can accommodate enterprises of all kinds, and it’s dependable, scalable, secure, and reasonably priced.
Oracle Cloud is an enterprise application and database management specialist. Because of its high-performance computing-focused cloud infrastructure, it is the best option for companies that manage huge datasets. Oracle has made smart acquisitions in order to maintain its competitiveness in the cloud market, as seen by the acquisition of TikTok’s U.S. business
VMware Cloud
VMware began as a modest family firm and has grown into a multinational corporation since 1998. Over the years, VMware has created cutting-edge capabilities that facilitate the management of virtual infrastructures for thousands of enterprises worldwide. In terms of hybrid cloud capabilities and virtualization solutions, VMware Cloud is superior. It offers flexibility and scalability by bridging on-premises infrastructure and the cloud in a seamless manner. VMware’s aim to be at the forefront of cloud technologies is demonstrated by its emphasis on modernizing applications and providing container orchestration based on Kubernetes.
Red Hat
Since its founding in 1993, Red Hat has been a key proponent of open-source software and has helped to integrate the advantages of this collaborative development approach into business settings. Red Hat is still a separate company that sticks to open-source values after being acquired by IBM in 2019. Red Hat Enterprise Linux, or RHEL, is one of the most popular distributions of enterprise Linux. Many mission-critical systems and applications in commercial environments are built on top of RHEL, which is well-known for its reliability, security, and support.
Furthermore, this provider exceptional offers the tools needed for modern application development and deployment, with a focus on Kubernetes and containers. Last but not least, we need to emphasize on Red Hat’s proven commitment to flexibility and interoperability by working with key cloud providers like Microsoft Azure and AWS.
Tencent Cloud
Tencent Cloud is becoming more and more well-known, especially in the Asia-Pacific area. Tencent Cloud serves companies of all sizes and sectors with a broad range of services.
It is particularly well-known for its gaming services, which include voice messaging, multi-player voice chat, and other capabilities tailored for game makers. Tencent Cloud, for instance, powers the largest game live-streaming platforms in mainland China, Huya and Douyu.
Even-though, Tencent Cloud aims to become a major participant in the global cloud market, as seen by its foreign partnerships and global expansion. However, there are a few drawbacks to this provider. For instance, the cloud is slow when utilized continuously, and the interaction with other apps might be a little complicated.
DigitalOcean
A well-liked cloud provider for developers and startups, DigitalOcean has become known for its simplicity and user-friendly interface. It provides a number of services, including scalable compute platforms with virtual machines (Droplets), managed databases, and storage solutions. One of the things that sets DigitalOcean apart is its simple price structure, which allows small and medium-sized organizations to use it.
With an extensive collection of user resources and tutorials, DigitalOcean has become popular due to its focus on community assistance. For those looking for speedy application setup and ease of usage, this is the recommended option.
UpCloud
Since its founding in 2012, the business has increased its reputation for promptness, dependability, and creative problem-solving.
With a focus on high-performance computing, UpCloud is a European cloud infrastructure company.
Network solutions, storage, and compute instances are just a few of the cloud services it provides. UpCloud is a good option for applications with high computational requirements because it is made for enterprises that need fast and dependable performance.
With its MaxIOPS storage technology, which offers remarkable input/output operations per second (IOPS), UpCloud sets itself apart. It is especially desirable for applications that need fast data access because of this.
The Bottom Line
To sum up, selecting a cloud provider requires a thorough examination of each provider’s products as well as a detailed assessment of your company’s needs. By taking into account variables like scalability, security, cost, and reliability, you can make a better choice that supports the objectives of your company.