Whether or not you should use cloud-based services in software development depends on a number of factors. These can vary depending on your project, the budget, technical expertise, and the scalability of your software.
Therefore, you will have to weigh the benefits of cloud computing in software development against its risks and challenges. So, what are these pros and cons? Stick around and we will explain them in super-quick and simple terms for you.
Who’s Using The Cloud?
The cloud computing market is growing exponentially and is expected to continue to do so by 16.3% till 2026. And today (as of 2023), over 94% of enterprises use at least one cloud service for storage – that’s like almost every single enterprise! (Source: TechJury).
Now, cash isn’t everything, but for businesses to succeed they need a healthy flow of cash, which the cloud helps you accomplish. According to a survey by Deloitte, small and medium businesses that used cloud computing made over 21% more profit; they grew 26% faster as well!
Ahead are some benefits of using cloud computing in software development and how it helps in saving big bucks for business.
Benefits Of Cloud Computing
1. Scalability
With physical hardware you are always limited by the capability of your component; Cloud Computing eliminates that risk.
You can scale up or down (vertically) and horizontally. With vertical scaling, you’re increasing (or decreasing) the capacity of your existing resources, such as adding more memory or CPU.
But what’s even better is the horizontal scaling that helps you deal with sudden or unexpected spikes in demand. In this scenario, more resources – such as storage or servers – are added to the system.
2. Cost Effectiveness
Cloud computing is more effective than traditional on-premises infrastructure, thanks to cloud providers’ facility to spread the cost of infrastructure across a large number of customers.
You, as a cloud consumer, can subscribe to the pay-as-you-go model for software development. This allows you to only pay for the exact resources you are using and for the exact duration (can be considered like paying rent).
Furthermore, with Cloud Computing, you don’t have to spend a fortune on buying expensive hardware, nor pay for the costs to maintain them.
3. Flexibility
Cloud applications can be accessed from anywhere – all you need is an Internet connection. This offers flexibility for software developers and increases collaboration.
For example, you might be familiar with git commit and git push commands. With these commands, software developers can write and edit code on their local machine and then push it onto the cloud.
Another method is the use of the CI/CD process – continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD). The CI/CD pipeline is a set of automated processes that can be used to build, test, and deploy software, meaning you won’t have to manually type in push commands (there’s much much more to CI/CD process!).
Challenges Of Cloud Computing
Shifting to the cloud comes with its own challenges and trials, here are a few:
- Security – since cloud computing environments are shared by multiple users, which risks unauthorized access to software and applications, security is a concern in cloud computing.
- Latency – Cloud Computing relies on network connectivity, which can cause latency issues in software development projects.
- Compatibility – migrating existing software applications to the cloud requires a lot of knowledge, expertise, skill, and time.
- Vendor Lock-in – In case a cloud provider’s services become unavailable, the prices increase, or there are security concerns, switching to a different cloud provider is severely difficult.
Conclusion
Cloud Computing enhances software development with one of its biggest advantages – scalability. Its cost-effectiveness, as well as flexibility, are not to be underestimated either. It can improve cost savings and collaborations with other software developers.
Regardless, Cloud Computing in software development does introduce some challenges as well. However, they can be fixed or, at least, minimized with skill and expertise.
The article was written in cooperation with the experts of SoftKraft – Custom Software Development Company
