Top 6 Companies That Found Success On The Cloud

Cloud computing is information technology that provides database storage, applications, computing power and other IT tools through a cloud platform delivered over the internet.

In other words, it stores data and processes applications over the internet.

The cloud makes resources like storage, applications and virtual machines accessible as a utility.

There are also different types of cloud service providers (CSP). There are public clouds like Amazon Web Services (AWS), private clouds like Nerds Support, and hybrid clouds which combine elements of the two.

Here are a few companies that have found success using the cloud.

1) Capital One

Capital One is first on the list because it is one of the more recent examples. It is a special case because it’s chose a public cloud over a private cloud.

The company initially had a private cloud strategy in the first few years of its migration but it failed to hit its target. If a business chooses to move to the cloud, they decide to keep some infrastructure in their own data centers. However, Capital One made the choice to move entirely to AWS.

Although Capital One uses other CSP’s, it’s main providers is AWS. They moved to the cloud for its services and applications but it expects to see a reduction in operation costs as it finalizes shutting down last remaining data centers.

2) Pinterest

Second on the list, Pinterest is a popular social media platform that’s gained popularity over the last couple of years. Unlike Capital One, Pinterest has been using the cloud from the very beginning.

As Pinterest grows in popularity, the cloud can adjust to traffic levels and keep up with site traffic. Pinterest was one of the first cloud computing successes, valued now at over $12 billion.
Although it’s not as prominent in the news as Facebook or Google, it’s quietly grown since its founding in 2010.

3) Xerox

In 2012 Xerox decided to develop a cloud printing solution, allowing users to access printers from any location. Furthermore, it offers cloud services specifically to small and medium sized businesses. The company saw where technology was headed and took actions to continue its growth despite its synonymy, with printing and photocopying.

4) eBay

Imagine using eBay in the middle of a crucial bid. You’re overtaking the other bidders and are zoning in on your purchase. Just as you feel your item’s within reach, the site crashes. That was the biggest concern for eBay when they chose to move their infrastructure of more than a billion listings onto the cloud.

They transitioned to the cloud in less than half a year and was implemented so quickly, they were ahead of schedule by six months. Now, eBay uses the cloud to experiment and work with machine learning to improve the functionality of their website.

5) Apple

Apple revolutionized cell phone technology when it introduced Siri, a program that imitates a human being, assisting users by answering questions. Although the voice is impressive, the way Siri works is even more amazing. The cloud receives user questions and processes them before they are answered.

The cloud also allows users to share data, applications and make updates seamlessly without having to physically make any changes to their hardware or software. In fact, Apple’s cloud software, ICloud is the cloud most people are familiar with.

6) Netflix

We saved the best for last: Netflix. The streaming service has come a long way since it’s days as a DVD rental service. It dominates the screens of millions of people ready to watch any of their dozens of critically acclaimed series, films and documentaries.

Because of its huge customer base, Netflix had to figure out a way to store all that data and, unfortunately, a traditional in-house data center was quickly becoming too inefficient. They needed an infrastructure that grew at scale.

Netflix reports that its 117.58 million subscribers around the world watch 140 million hours of content daily. Put simply, the average Netflix user spends 1 hour and 11 minutes, or 71 minutes, each day on the service.

What makes Netflix so impressive is how they managed to migrate all of that data in a time when cloud was relatively unknown technology.

As you can see, the cloud can create some astounding feats when used effectively. Organizations large and small will continue to migrate to the cloud with help from a Managed IT Services provider to grow and scale their businesses as the cloud becomes more mainstream.