In today’s business world there is a huge divide between Cloud Computing and Virtualization. The big difference lies in the fact that Virtualization consists of providing the end-user with an appliance, typically an app, running across the network or across a server. The user’s computing needs are taken care of by the Cloud, while the infrastructure, or the hardware, of the client company is solely dependent upon the hardware manufacturer. To this end it is more expensive for a Cloud to provide a high-end virtual application as opposed to a simple use case, such as a back-room PC.

Cloud Computing 

Therefore the Cloud represents a new class of computing that is free of hardware restrictions. But just how free is it? The answer to this question will depend on the implementation and characteristics of the different clouds. The two basic approaches to implementation include public and private clouds. Each has its pros and cons, so in order to compare Cloud Computing vs Virtualization we need to determine which approach provides the best solution for the given need.

Public Cloud Computing is provided by a number of internet providers, including Amazon, Google, Hewlett Packard, and others. These providers have built large databases of servers with which they offer applications on demand. This is similar to the public, local area network, only instead of using computers on the local network for services, the data is provided on the public cloud. All computers that are on the network have access to the same resources and so all users share the same hardware. When comparing Cloud Computing vs Virtualization, this is the primary benefit to using a public cloud computing service.

Drawbacks of Cloud Computing 

The drawback to using this type of Cloud is the price. These providers often used more costly hardware than what would be needed for a private server, which adds to the overall cost of the solution. However, as technology improves and the public cloud infrastructure improves, the costs will eventually come down. As well, Cloud computing allows for greater flexibility because the infrastructure is not tied to one single user; it is instead flexible and configurable between different departments.

Virtualization 

Private cloud computing a virtualization also involves an examination of the underlying software platform.

There are two types of software platforms: IaaS and SaaS.

An IaaS is usually based on the concept of subscriptions. With subscription based cloud computing, a company rents time or space to a vendor, who then submits a specific amount of resource to the provider when called upon. With SaaS, a company uses a web-based application platform that allows them to easily create, store, and share documents and other objects.

So how does one decide which is best? In some cases, it’s easier to upgrade to a SaaS model. In other cases, it is more cost-effective to rely upon a private cloud infrastructure with on-demand user access. The key here is to determine how much of an investment will be required to maintain an infrastructure, and whether or not the investment will yield a return.

Usage of Virtualization

It’s also important to note that cloud computing offers a great deal of convenience, especially for businesses that need a highly trained IT team but do not have the additional resources to maintain their own IT department. This allows them to focus their efforts on developing new products, implementing new business models, and improving their service delivery. Since cloud computing provides a great deal of flexibility, this also makes it an excellent choice for companies that aren’t technologically prepared to handle the additional resources that come with a dedicated disaster recovery plan.

Conclusion

Virtualization is considerably cheaper than IaaS, but it requires considerably more work to setup and maintain. If your organization is small enough that it doesn’t require a dedicated staff to manage the infrastructure, then VDI can be a good choice. However, if you’re a medium-sized company that’s heavily invested in its IT department, or one that requires a significant amount of hardware, and also requires an extensive set of software applications, you will likely find that VDI is a superior solution. Cloud computing resources such as IaaS provide a great deal of flexibility at relatively lower costs, making it an excellent choice for a wide variety of organizations.

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