Cloud Service Providers

Types of Cloud Service Providers

• Several major world-class cloud service providers (CSPs) offer a wide range of cloud computing  services, catering to different needs and preferences.
• Organizations often choose their cloud service provider based on factors such as service offerings, pricing, performance, geographic coverage, and compatibility with existing technologies.
• Some of the world’s popular cloud service providers are:-

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

• • AWS is one of the largest and most widely used cloud platforms, offering a comprehensive suite of cloud computing services offered by Amazon.
  • It provides a vast array of services, including computing power, storage, databases, machine learning, analytics, and more.
  • AWS is known for its global reach and extensive set of features.
  • Different AWS are – Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud/Amazon EC2, Amazon Simple Storage Service/Amazon S3, AWS Lambda, Amazon RDS, Amazon Simple Queue Service/Amazon SQS, etc.
  • Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud :

Microsoft Azure

• • Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform by Microsoft that offers a wide range of services similar to AWS.
  • It provides services for computing, analytics, storage, networking, and various other solutions.
  • Azure is well-integrated with Microsoft’s software products and development tools.
  • Different Azure services are – Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Blob Storage, Azure Functions, Azure SQL Database, Microsoft Assessment and Planning(MAP) Toolkit, Microsoft SharePoint, etc.
  • Microsoft Assessment and Planning(MAP) Toolkit :
    • Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit is a free utility that IT professionals can use to determine whether its infrastructure is prepared for a migration to a new operating system, server version, or cloud-based deployment.
    • The MAP Toolkit is a standalone application that automates the inventory of the Microsoft Platform. 
    • The MAP Toolkit can help us to determine what kind of Microsoft technologies our organization needs. 
    • It can also help us to discover information about our Windows deployments.
  • Microsoft SharePoint :
    • Microsoft SharePoint is a set of cloud and web-based technologies that help organizations store, share, and manage digital information. 
    • SharePoint is a web-based collaborative platform that integrates natively with Microsoft 365.
    • It was launched in 2001.
    • SharePoint is primarily sold as a document management and storage system.
    • Organizations use Microsoft SharePoint to create websites.
    • We can use it as a secure place to store, organize, share, and access information from any device.

Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

• • Google Cloud Platform, offered by Google, is a suite of cloud computing services that provides a series of modular cloud services including computing, data storage, data analytics, and machine learning, alongside a set of management tools. 
  • Google Cloud is recognized for its strengths in data analytics, machine learning, and container orchestration with Kubernetes.
  • Google Cloud is a suite of cloud computing services that runs on the same infrastructure that Google uses internally for its own consumer products, such as Google Search, Gmail, and YouTube. 
  • There is no charge to use GCP products up to their specified free usage limit. The free usage limit does not expire.
  • Google Cloud Platform helps developers build quickly, securely, and cost-effectively with the next generation of modern infrastructure designed to meet specific workloads and industry needs.
  • Different GCP services are – Google Compute/App Engine, Google Cloud Storage, Google Cloud Functions, Google Cloud SQL, Google Cloud Connect, Google Cloud Print, etc.
  • Google Cloud Storage : 
    • Google Cloud Storage is a scalable, reliable, and flexible object storage service provided by Google Cloud Platform (GCP) to solve various storage needs.
    • Google Cloud Storage is a fundamental component of Google Cloud Platforms.
    • It allows users to store and retrieve their data through Google’s infrastructure.
    • Google Cloud Storage is primarily an object storage service, designed to store and retrieve unstructured data such as images, videos, and other large files.
    • Data stored in Google Cloud Storage is designed to be highly durable and redundant. It is distributed across multiple locations to ensure availability and protection against hardware failures.
  • Google Cloud Connect :
    • Google Cloud Connect was a free cloud computing plug-in for Windows Microsoft Office 2003, 2007, and 2010 that can automatically store and synchronize any Microsoft Word document, PowerPoint presentation, or Excel spreadsheet to Google Docs in Google Docs or Microsoft Office formats. The Google Doc copy is automatically updated each time the Microsoft Office document is saved. 
    • Google Cloud Connect could automatically or manually synchronize changes made to a Microsoft Office 2003, 2007, or 2010 document with Google Docs. Documents can be secured for private access by one user, shared with specific people for collaboration, or made public to anyone.
    • Google Cloud Connect was discontinued on April 30, 2013, as according to Google, all of Cloud Connect’s features are available through Google Drive.
  • Google Cloud Print :
    • Google introduced Cloud Print in April 2010, as a future solution for printing from ChromeOS.
    • Google Cloud Print was a Google service that allowed users to print from any Cloud Print-aware application (web, desktop, mobile) on any device in the network cloud to any printer with native support for connecting to cloud print services. 
    • In November 2019, Google announced the end of support for Google Cloud Print on December 31, 2020.
  • Google Compute/App Engine :
    • It was first released in April 2008. 
    • Google App Engine is a type of cloud computing (Platform As a Service) for developing and hosting web applications in Google-managed data centers.
    • Here, Applications are Sandboxed and run across multiple servers hence App Engine automatically allocates more resources for the web application to handle the additional increased demand.
    • The service is free up to a certain level of consumed resources and only in standard environments.
    • Google App Engine primarily supports Go, PHP, Java, Python, Node.js, .NET, and Ruby applications, although it can also support other languages via “custom runtimes”.

IBM Cloud

• • IBM Cloud provides a suite of cloud computing services, including infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and software as a service (SaaS).
  • IBM’s cloud offerings cover a range of enterprise solutions, including AI, blockchain, and hybrid cloud.
  • Different IBM cloud services are – IBM Virtual Servers, IBM Cloud Object Storage, IBM Smart Cloud Functions, IBM Db2 on Cloud, etc.
  • IBM Smart Cloud :
    • IBM SmartCloud is a private cloud offering that allows users to quickly request and provision an environment through a web-based interface.
    • IBM SmartCloud is also a real-time, global scale, intelligent IoT services platform that enables sophisticated and flexible services to be created using open web interfaces.
    • IBM SmartCloud includes:-

Alibaba Cloud

• • Alibaba Cloud, also known as Aliyun, is the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group.
  • It is a leading cloud service provider in Asia and offers a variety of services, including computing, storage, databases, and AI.
  • Alibaba Cloud is particularly strong in serving the Chinese market.
  • Different Alibaba Cloud services are –Elastic Compute Service (ECS), Object Storage Service (OSS), Function Compute, ApsaraDB, etc.

Oracle Cloud

• • Oracle Cloud provides a comprehensive suite of cloud services, including databases, applications, and infrastructure.
  • It is known for its focus on enterprise applications and databases.
  • Oracle Cloud offers solutions for both traditional enterprise workloads and modern cloud-native applications.
  • Different Oracle Cloud services are – Oracle Compute, Oracle Object Storage, Oracle Functions, Oracle Autonomous Database, etc.

Huawei Cloud

• • Huawei Cloud is the cloud computing and services arm of Huawei Technologies.
  • It offers a range of cloud services, including computing, storage, databases, and AI.
  • Huawei Cloud serves customers globally and is particularly prominent in Asia.

VMware Cloud

• • VMware Cloud provides cloud infrastructure and services, leveraging VMware’s virtualization technologies.
  • It enables organizations to run virtualized workloads in the cloud and facilitates hybrid cloud deployments.
  • Different VMware Cloud services are – VMware Cloud on AWS, VMware Cloud on Dell EMC, etc.

Red Hat OpenShift

• • Red Hat OpenShift is a Kubernetes-based container platform that enables organizations to develop, deploy, and manage containerized applications.
  • It is often used in conjunction with various cloud services.
  • Different Red Hat OpenShift services are – Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform, OpenShift Dedicated, etc.

DigitalOcean

• • DigitalOcean is known for its simplicity and developer-friendly cloud services, catering to startups and small to medium-sized businesses.
  • Various types of DigitalOcean services are – Droplets (virtual machines), Spaces (object storage), Kubernetes, Managed Databases, etc.

EMC

• EMC now called Dell EMC after the merger with Dell, closed on September 7, 2016.
• The EMC stands for the founders Egan, Marino & Curly.
• Dell EMC is a Cloud Computing multinational Corporation (an American company, headquartered in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, United States) that provides a specialized skill related to software and services i.e., Dell EMC sells data storage, information security, virtualization, analytics, cloud computing and other products and services that enable organizations to store, manage, protect, and analyze data.
• Dell EMC’s target markets include large companies and small- and medium-sized businesses across various vertical markets. 
• It involves expertise in designing, deploying, and managing cloud-based infrastructure and platforms, including storage and data management services, virtualization technologies, and cloud security.

Captiva Cloud Toolkit/Cloud Capture Toolkit

• The Cloud Capture Toolkit is a scanning and imaging software developer kit (SDK) that allows developers to create document scanner hardware vendors, commercial software developers, and enterprises to add scanning capability to their web-based line of business applications.
• It supports a wide range of web browsers and development platforms, making it easier to incorporate physical documents into cloud-based applications and business processes.
• The Captiva Cloud Toolkit is free to download and doesn’t require an ActiveX or Java plug-in.
• It’s compatible with HTML5, Microsoft Silverlight, JavaScript, and Adobe Flash.
• The Captiva Cloud Service is a local web capture server that processes Images through API calls. These calls perform tasks like scanning and manipulating images.
• It helps web application developers quickly add scanning and imaging functionality directly to their web-based business applications.