Its safe to say by this point that the cloud has truly transformed how we live. Cloud computing has become so prevalent, that those who dont know much about it or understand how the technology works still use it prevalently in their day to day lives. Heres an interesting thought experiment for those who dismiss the influence of the cloud today.
What would the world look like if cloud computing had never caught on? Put simply, it would look quite a bit different, with changes affecting nearly every aspect of our lives. Many services and companies have now become dependent on cloud operations. Here are just a few things that wouldnt exist without cloud computing that you might not have thought about.
1. Netflix Streaming
Yes, its true that Netflix first started out as a DVD-by-mail company, but it didnt stay that way for long. The company first introduced streaming video back in 2007, about ten years after its founding, which effectively changed the way the company operated.
While Netflix still uses traditional mail for movie rentals, the bulk of its business comes from streaming films online. This development lead to an explosion in Netflix subscribers — roughly 60 million worldwide as of April 2015. The cloud has made providing streaming video possible to subscribers in countries all over the world.
It all adds up to about 10 billion hours per month that people spend watching movies and shows on Netflix. If Netflix never decided to use a cloud provider, it likely would have only remained a DVD-by-mail company with limited capability in offering accurate recommendations.
2. Spotify
In much the same way Netflix changed the movie landscape, Spotify has changed the music scene, and it is all thanks to the cloud. Through Spotify, subscribers are able to stream a wide variety of music from nearly any device, provided they have an internet connection.
The company was founded in 2006 and is considered one of the pioneers in cloud technology. With 60 million subscribers (15 million of which are paid subscribers), Spotify has amassed an impressive collection of music, allowing members to share playlists and music tastes. Spotify remains one of the best examples of companies that have used the cloud to achieve unprecedented levels of success and expansion.
3. Skype
Beginning in 2003, Skype offers online communication via video, phone call, and messaging, all done while on the cloud. One of the main appeals of the company is how these services are offered for free, effectively getting rid of phone bills and other annoying fees. Skype has enjoyed a great deal of growth, especially for people looking for an easy way to talk to friends, loved ones, and colleagues without the hassle of a phone plan. By taking full advantage of the cloud, Skype now has up to 40 percent of the international call market share.
4. Pinterest
Social media in general owes a lot to the cloud, but Pinterest is one example that has relied on the cloud from the very beginning. Pinterest uses the cloud for much more than just hosting its site. The company conducts experiments on the cloud and adjusts to different levels of site traffic as demands indicate. This enables Pinterest to keep their team small while also taking advantage of big data to ensure content is relevant to users.
5. Paypal
We have Paypal to thank for making online shopping a popular and relatively comfortable task, and this has been made possible through cloud computing. Paypal basically works by processing payments of vendors and auction sites (up until this year it was a subsidiary of eBay).
This can be done from a variety of countries and locations. The cloud helps in this effort, making Paypal an appealing and safe option for online transactions. Without the cloud, Paypal wouldnt exist in its current form, and online shopping likely would be more difficult and much less acceptable.
From streaming video and music to online payments, the cloud has transformed our lives in significant ways. Though many may still have questions over what is cloud computing, theres no denying the impact it has had among individuals, companies, and services. A world without the cloud would be very different indeed, and these examples show how much we use it, both in simple and complex ways.
