HP Cloud Services

Cloud computing and related services have seen explosive amounts of growth in the last year, both in the business and consumer sectors. Consumers saw the unveiling of services such as Amazon Cloud Drive and Apple iCloud, while users at the business end of the spectrum saw continued improvements of offerings. Offerings like software-as-a-service (SaaS) are now available from a number of different vendors. Some of these services are offered by well-known and established companies, while others are offered by new ventures.

Among the already-established companies that are moving into the cloud computing sector is Hewlett-Packard. The company has announced the upcoming launch of its HP Cloud Services offering. The product is currently in a private beta and should be made available by the end of the year. As a longtime maker of computers, computer equipment and software solutions, the move into cloud computing shouldn't be seen as a surprise. But what helps set HP Cloud Services apart from the dozens of other companies offering similar products?

HP Cloud Services is split into two distinct products while it's in private beta, and is expected to maintain this division after its launch. HP Cloud Compute is one of the products being offered by the new cloud program. The focus of this product is on software-as-a-service and infrastructure-as-a-service solutions. With HP Cloud Compute, subscribing companies can deploy virtual machines on demand and customize those virtual machines to the needs of the organization. This means increased scalability and flexibility so that companies using the service can respond to fluctuating demand.

The other component of HP Cloud Services is HP Object Storage. HP Object Storage is, as the name implies, a storage service for enterprise-level needs. Object Storage is touted as being a great solution for backing up content and storing large data sets. This can include any sort of file, whether it's spreadsheets or media files. The idea is to provide high-capacity storage to business clients that's secure, giving companies an easy way to keep their data backed up off-premise.

HP is relying heavily on its reputation to help bring in traffic to its new Cloud Services offering. The company touts its cloud service as allowing clients to innovate, but also promotes the overall transparency of the service. The company's cloud service is based on open-source technology, and is also extremely friendly to developers. OpenStack technology is integrated through Cloud Services.

On top of this, HP is really trying to sell customers on the mobility of Cloud Services. It's accessible from mobile devices, and multiple languages such as Java and Python are supported. This ultimately gives developers who utilize the service a great deal of flexibility when using Cloud Services.

Businesses are gravitating towards cloud and SaaS solutions such as HP Cloud Services for a couple of reasons. The biggest advantage that companies gain when they shift their IT infrastructure toward the cloud is cost savings. By using SaaS solutions, companies no longer need to purchase dozens or hundreds of pieces of software. They also do not need to hire an IT staff to deploy and maintain the software, further reducing the long-run costs of running an IT department. That's because cloud vendors such as HP Cloud Services offer customer service and maintain the software on their own end, reducing the need for any such maintenance on the client end.

On a similar note to cost, efficiency is another major reason that companies have shifted toward the cloud. When there isn't a cost associated with maintaining software and backups, the organization simultaneously becomes more efficient. Since companies do not need to worry about upgrading their software, they'll never used outdated programs as long as their vendor keeps them up to date. This comes as a huge benefit to large companies that are still running outdated software such as Windows XP due to the prohibitive cost of upgrading.

Despite the fact that HP Cloud Services looks great on paper, it's still important for companies or individuals considering a cloud service provider to compare prices. Obtaining quotes from multiple vendors is fast and easy, and it can lead to cost savings that the company might otherwise not know about. With so many cloud providers available, comparison shopping is a great step for any company to take if they think they might want to use cloud services.  Use our free quote request form on this page and start saving.