Cloud Computing For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 16

Breaking Down Cloud Economics

IN THIS CHAPTER

Explaining the reason to balance costs with needs

Defining the hybrid cloud economic advantage

Understanding the value of various cloud models

Examining the costs of the data center

One of the most confusing issues that a business faces when moving to cloud services is understanding and planning for the costs and the economic impact on the business. It is not surprising.

First, costs can change dramatically when a business begins to use a cloud service for a limited set of functions, such as testing, creating an application, or storing data in a cloud service. These initial costs can be quite reasonable and often dramatically less expensive than using data center services. However, management is often taken by surprise when the use of cloud services expands dramatically. There may be a logical reason for the costs of the cloud services.

Balancing Costs with Requirements

It is imperative that you be able to understand the costs and benefits of leveraging different models of computing. When you begin your thought process around ...