Let’s know more about the cloud and web-based applications
Cloud application has an architecture that has the data and the majority of the compute cycles happening in a data center somewhere; all the components of a cloud application are supported by a sophisticated back-end that ensures up time, security and integration with other systems and supports as many access methods as necessary.
Web application is an application program that is stored on a remote server and delivered over the Internet or an intranet through a browser interface.
The cloud applications can be installed on a public cloud or a private cloud and accessed there; conversely, the web applications can be installed on Internet or intranet and accessed there.
COMPARISON BETWEEN CLOUD APPS AND WEB APPS:
| Cloud Application | Web Application |
| The application is accessed through the internet or other computer network | The application is accessed through the internet or other computer network |
| All cloud applications are web applications | Not all web applications are cloud applications |
| Majority of the compute cycles happening in a data center | Located elsewhere and are accessible from almost anywhere |
| Inherently Scalable | Limited by scalability |
| Very high Uptime | Limited by availability |
| User Data & Business Process store in multiple replicated data centers | User Data & Business Process store in single data center |
| The provided application is standardized for all customers | Each customer users its own instance of the application |
| Multi-tenancy solution | Isolated-tenancy solution |
| Can run on the users computing systems or the provider’s web servers | Only run on the provider’s web servers |
Conclusion:
Cloud apps are web apps in the sense that they can be used through web browsers but not all web apps are cloud apps. Software vendors often bundle web apps to sell as "cloud" apps simply because it's the latest buzz-word technology, but web apps do not offer the same richness in functionality and customization you'll get from cloud apps. So, be aware!
Some software application vendors also falsely think that just because their application runs on the web, this automatically qualifies it to be a cloud app. This is not always the case. For your web app to evolve into a cloud app, it should exhibit certain properties such as
- True multi-tenancy to support various requirements & needs for consumers
- Support for virtualization technology, which plays a starring role for cloud era apps
These new age cloud app development platforms are affordable and agile, reducing time to market and software development complexities. The most significant cloud computing benefit is in terms of IT cost savings.
Want to understand more about the benefits of cloud computing for your business?